I recently went one-on-one with beach volleyball star Betsi Flint. Betsi is a 7-time Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Champion, a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American, and a current member of Team USA.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your story and your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Betsi: Adam – thank you so much for inviting me to share my story. There is an incredible focus in the sports world on leadership and it is fun to break it down in this space! 

I am a professional beach volleyball athlete for Team USA and have been playing professionally for 8 full seasons. My youth was filled with indoor volleyball and beach as a summertime hobby. I went to college on an indoor scholarship and was able to transition to beach when it officially became a collegiate sport at the end of my undergraduate. Post my graduate degree I jumped straight into professional beach volleyball. The past 2 seasons of my professional year have been full of adventure and challenge after becoming a mom. Starting a family as a professional athlete is intimidating. You consider the uncertainty of the physical and mental toll it could take, the financial impact, in addition to the time it takes away from training and vice versa. There is constant domestic and international travel and so much unknown when you think about the long-term as an athlete. In 2020 it felt like I was in the height of my career, to take a step back to begin a family was a risk. I started training in the sand again about 2.5 months postpartum, it was one of the hardest times in my life. I was caring for and breastfeeding a newborn every 3-4 hours day & night. I was physically working to get back into beach volleyball shape. At the beginning, I was nowhere near what I was capable of on the court which took a serious mental toll. Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes to continue to play professionally? Will anyone want to partner with me? What if I can’t jump like I used to? So many negative and draining thoughts. I continued to prepare and focus on solutions for winning with my new challenges. My husband was instrumental during this time, building me up when I needed the support and encouraging me that I could do it! Fast forward 2.5 years later and I’m ranked #8 in the world and pursuing the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The risk paid off! Since becoming a mom my career has reached a new level. I credit much of that to the shift in my “why” which allows me to be more intentional each day. I’m taking full advantage of this journey. I want to inspire my daughter and other young athletes so they know they can thrive in their careers no matter the challenge, including motherhood when that time comes.

Adam: What are the best lessons you learned from your volleyball career that are applicable to life outside of sports? 

Betsi: Focusing on solutions: It’s inevitable that in each beach volleyball match, there is adversity. We play a sport where perfection is impossible, our opponents have a game plan to put pressure on us, we are going to be uncomfortable. In those moments I’ve learned to focus on solutions that challenge their gameplan, force them to make changes, and continue to execute on my strengths. That includes adjusting my own game plan to build our own momentum and opportunity. This applies off the court as a mom and in everyday life. Adversity is going to come; in those moments I can make a Plan A, B, C, etc. versus becoming the victim to the challenges around me.

Determination: At the professional level, each game is often separated by just 2 points. We all have the necessary skills to win. It’s who is going to mentally dig deep and execute at the right time that actually will. We were in a 3rd set against the #1 team in the World.  The 3rd set was played to 15 points and we were down 9-14. We sharpened our focus adding a new level of determination to come back and win the set 17-15! The odds of winning at that point were .04% --that is determination. Not giving up in the face of adversity, playing one point at a time, and staying present to give 100% of what we have in each moment is what made the difference.

Adam: How do you motivate yourself on the days you don’t feel motivated? 

Betsi: I just do it! Once I’m in a routine, it’s easier to stay disciplined. Just like anyone I’m not motivated 100% of the time. There are days where my body is sore, I’ve been up in the night with my daughter and it’s hard to get motivated for 2.5-5 hours of training followed by being an active and present mom for a toddler. Despite how I feel, get up and start moving. When I get physical activity and my planned training done it helps my productivity the rest of the day. Some days are harder than others. I do also have to acknowledge that if my sleep is severely interrupted it increases my risk for injury and to monitor my training load. A little bit of grace goes a long way!

Adam: Who are the best leaders you have been around and what have you learned from them?

Betsi: One of the most influential leaders I’ve been around is John Mayer. He is the Head Coach for the Loyola Marymount Beach Volleyball program. In addition to coaching at the collegiate level, he also coaches at the professional level. One significant leadership skill he embodies is that he cares about relationships more than he cares about outcomes. He meets weekly with 10+ athletes individually and 50% of the meeting is relational – getting to know them and learning how he can help them succeed. I was his assistant coach at LMU for 6 years and have hired him as my professional coach consistently over the years. I have seen firsthand how developing that trust and feeling valued can increase creativity and productivity. He leans into the “why.”

Leaders can use this example in their own lives. I learned the value of “rounding” while working with John. While interacting with someone and getting to know them, it’s important to follow up about that same thing you discussed a few days later. It is important to take a few notes on conversations to have the ability to follow up with the specifics. Relationships are key in almost everything we do. 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to leaders at all levels? 

Betsi:

1. Create a genuine connection; learn how to communicate to each person on your team. 

2. Focus on 1-2 skills at a time. Specify how to and work to refine those for an extended time before moving on.

3. Lead by example. Show up on time, stay with the team until the end, and follow the rules and expectations you have of others. You can much more easily lead when you demonstrate equality through your actions. 

Adam: How can anyone develop a winning mindset? 

Betsi: Developing a winning mindset is similar to developing any other skill. Incorporate small steps toward the change you wish to make as you would with any achievable goal. Start by finding ways to win your day – a consistent morning routine, getting a workout in, meeting a friend for coffee, etc. Whatever brings you energy, find ways to implement it into your day.

Setting tangible and challenging goals is another way to start developing a winning mindset. Focusing on those 1-2 goals can improve focus and feelings of accomplishment when you reach it!

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Betsi: Your journey is your journey. It’s easy to compare results and experiences to competitors. Even though we have similar goals, every athlete’s path looks different. Some are scarred with pain, others with great mental challenges and more. This advice isn’t easy in sport. I want to win every tournament and that’s nearly impossible. My time will come, my journey and experiences along the way are what develop me into the person I am and desire to be. 

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Betsi: Follow my journey of motherhood and professional beach volleyball on Instagram at @BetsiFlint! Thanks for your time!


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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