Thirty Minute Mentors Podcast Transcript: Interview with Olympic Gold Medalist Natasha Hastings

I recently interviewed Natasha Hastings on my podcast, Thirty Minute Mentors. Here is a transcript of our interview:

Adam: Our guest today is a two time Olympic gold medalist, one of the fastest women in the world. Natasha Hastings was a member of the four by 400 Gold Medal winning relay teams in Beijing in 2008 and in Rio in 2016. Natasha is also the founder of The Natasha Hastings Foundation, where she is focused on helping girls become women of confidence in sports and life. Natasha, thank you for joining us.

Natasha: Thank you. Thanks for having me. Adam.

Adam: Natasha, can you take listeners back to your early days growing up in Brooklyn, which is my mom's hometown. And, yeah, small world. Can you share the experiences and lessons that helped inspire your love of crack and the success that you were ultimately able to enjoy?

Natasha: Yeah, so I really don't have much memory of Brooklyn because I was born in Brooklyn, and then my mom moved out to Long Island. So I actually grew up in the suburbs in a town called Hempstead and Uniondale. But really, my love for track really started from my household. Both my parents ran track, they were both immigrants to the states on athletic scholarships. Actually, my dad came from Jamaica and my mom came from Trinidad by way of the UK, but it was always something that, you know, they had pictures of themselves up around the house running track, we'd watch the Olympics, we'd watch track meets, my dad was a track coach. So I go to practice with him and my mom would take me to the Colgate women's games. And then in school, I was the fastest kid in class, girl or boy. So I mean, as long as I could remember, I loved running and I wanted to be the fastest kid. I wanted to beat the boys. I just wanted to be the best out there. And it's interesting when I tell people that I knew as early as 10 that I wanted to go to the Olympics because that was actually the year that I officially joined a team and kind of got with a coach and you know, really started understanding the sport. And then you know, the ‘96 games were in Atlanta of all places in the United States. And I remember watching Michelle Johnson versus Jackie Joyner-Kersee. And really sort of making the connection that oh, wow, one day I could possibly go to the Olympics and do something like that. But I genuinely do not remember life without running, whether it was in gym class, or a practice with my dad, or on a track team.

Adam: That's awesome. I love how you were the fastest kid in your class, male or female. And something that I thought was really cool about your experience was that when you were a junior at the University of South Carolina, you finished the year undefeated, which is incredible. You then went on to win the Olympic gold medal the following year. What went into competing at such a high level? Can you describe your daily routine during that time period and any advice you have for listeners on how to reach peak performance?

Natasha: Well, it was definitely a lot of focus; focus and sacrifice. And I think it obviously wasn't something that happened overnight, right? And like I rememberI was that kid in high school that I was criticized by some adults because they felt like I was too serious. I was too focused. I knew very early on that I wanted to go to a place that not everybody wanted to go. And that meant, you know, I wasn't at every party that was going on. I mean, I remember my senior prom. I went to my senior prom but I had city champs the following day. So while everyone went to the after party, I went home because I had to rest up for my city champs the following day. And that continued on through my prep, you know, for the games and I think, you know, if I didn't have that lifestyle very early on... I don't want to say it was easy because it was definitely a hard transition for me from collegiate to professional, especially mindset wise, but the habits of the necessary lifestyle were already in place. You know, I knew very early on that, you know, I guess I'm going to be 18 years old and I got to live out those experiences when I went to college and did all of those things. But I knew that, you know, to go to the Olympics, it was going to take something different. And you know, you mentioned that I went pro after my junior year, I was adamant about finishing college. I started training that fall, and continuing my classes and realized very quickly that if I'm going to go to the games this summer, I probably won't be able to train the way that I need to train and take these classes and it was really about the focus, but also what I could manage at the time and understanding, you know, managing the time basically because, you know, it went to spending more hours in the gym and more hours on the track. And then beyond that getting home from training, that rest time is actually just as important as what you've done out on the track. So it really became about managing where my energy was going. And that even meant some relationships. You know, I had some friendships that I loved them dearly, and I know that they meant the best for me. But because they didn't understand the level of focus and the level of sacrifice, some of my friendships even had to be shown. So it's a very selfish place because a lot of people don't necessarily understand the sacrifice and the grace that goes into it. But you really do have to get to a place where you're willing and able to say, this serves me, this doesn't serve me, and this is what I have to do. And you almost have to realize that very, very quickly.

Adam: Natasha, I think that the advice that you just shared is applicable to anyone listening, regardless of whether you're training for the Olympics, or whether you're preparing to try to become the best at whatever it is you're aspiring to do in life. You have to be focused, you have to be disciplined, you have to be willing to make hard choices. You have to be willing to sacrifice things and you and your journey exemplified the payoff of what happens when you're willing to put the work in. And I hope listeners can learn from your example. I want to ask you about a few of the topics that you touched upon in that answer. You talked a little bit about the importance of exercise, the importance of nutrition, and recovery, sleep. What advice do you have for listeners on those topics? How can we live healthier, more physically fit, and just better lives?

Natasha: Well, I guess I think that the Spanish are the ones who have it really- that rest is just as important as the work. And again, something that I think is applicable to all parts of our lives. If you don't give yourself the opportunity to recover from the work that you've put in, you never really truly get to see the gains from that work. You never really get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. And so when I talk about, you know, being delayed and worried about my rest because yes, now I'm training more, I'm putting more time and energy into the end goal. If I don't allow my body to rest mentally and physically, I won't allow myself to progress in the way that I need it to progress. And, you know, again, when I say mentally, that sometimes involves relationships that sometimes involves, you know, hearing the wrong language or you know, someone sucking the life out of you, so to speak. You really, really have to be protective of the energy that you keep, the energy that you put out, and the energy that you preserve for yourself. Because without it, truthfully, no matter how much work you put in, if you don't allow your body to recover and absorb the things that you've worked towards, you're never really going to get that output back from the work that you've put in because you're just going to exhaust yourself and that is something that I've learned over the course of my journey as well that, you know, there is such a thing as overwork, there is such a thing as over focus. And if you do either of those things, you'll exhaust yourself. And unfortunately, everything that you've done up to that point will be put to waste basically. So it really is another form of discipline too, because I think we, especially here in America, we have this culture of work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work early, where it gets the burn, the early bird gets the worm, you know, just, I put in this many hours and all of that stuff is great, but you do get to a point of burnout. And so I think it's incredibly critical that for your mental health and for your physical health, you make sure that you put that rest factor in there and you are intentional about it, and that rest does include your sleep. It includes what and how you eat and includes the relationships that you keep as well.

Adam: Self Care is obviously such an important topic, and I appreciate how open you are about the relevance in terms of how you need to take care of yourself to get to the top, personally and to get to the top professionally. So I think you hit the nail on the head. I want to ask you about a different topic. So as an Olympic gold medalist, you're at the top of the world. You're the best of the best. After winning the gold medal in 2008, you then don't qualify for the 2012 gaps, which must have been a devastating experience. But then four years later, in 2016, at age 30, you would then come back and not only qualify for the Olympics, but win another gold medal. How did you manage and ultimately bounce back from what was just a crushing failure? And what advice do you have for others on the topic of overcoming failures and overcoming setbacks?

Natasha: My first answer is just, I'm just that crazy. And I think on some level, you have to be insanely crazy to believe in such big goals. And I'll never forget after getting pregnant and deciding, well, you know, this isn't going to be the end for me. I'm going to come back after having my baby and one of my best friends said, well, what if that doesn't work out? And I said, what if it doesn't? You know, I don't want to act like yes, after I didn't make the team. I was totally devastated. I remember walking home while walking back to the hotel from the stadium. That's a few miles walk. You know what I run? I run the 400 on the sprinter. If you get me to do more than a mile total combined at a workout, I've done a lot for the day. So to walk for a few miles back to my hotel, I mean, I was literally devastated. And I'm a firm believer of, you know, when you're feeling an emotion to allow yourself to feel those emotions, give yourself the time to go through those things to process those things. And I went through every emotion from I don't want to do this, I'm done. I'm quitting. I'm gonna go back to school. This is just not working. And then I, you know, I have an incredible village and between my mom and my coach that both believed that, you know, this wasn't the end for me. They connected me with a sports psychologist. And that was the turnaround for my career. You know, and just taking the time to figure out again, talking about all of the work that I've been doing, I've always been an incredibly hard worker. So why did this not work out? And, you know, fixing my mindset. And just, once I changed that mindset, and I had the belief that there was nothing that I could do, and if I, you know, I'm not afraid to do the work, and I believe that I can do it, then that's all that matters. You know, I also get to a place where I know that I'm showing up as my best self every day. And that's all that matters. So Ithat wouldn't be quite true because I like winning, but not myself before I said that. But you know, I guess I'm not afraid of failure. And the only thing that's worse than failure is not trying at all. And I think that, you know, I got to a place where, you know, going back to the conversation with my girlfriend after having a child, it was my response. I'm really not giving myself a choice. I have to do this because now it's become- My wife is constantly changing, well, why am I doing this? And for me, I don't think having a child is the end of my career, I still believe that I'm in the best shape of my life, I still believe that I can form in the best way. The best yet, you know? But I think that, ultimately, I'm where I am because of that mindset. When you talk about how many Olympic gold medalists there are in history. it is a very small population and that population, I believe, we just have an insane mindset that we go through the ebbs and flows, the ups and downs, we definitely have our moments where we don't believe ourselves or, you know, we want to quit, but somehow or another, we don't give ourselves a choice. We pick ourselves up and we figure out we’re resilient. We push through and we fight through no matter the outcome, we know that we gave it our all so it's not a linear answer.

Adam: Natasha, that's a great answer and what I loved about your answer, there's a lot that I loved about your answer, but I'll highlight one thing I loved and that was the last thing you said, which is applicable to all of us; you don't need to be an Olympic gold medalist. I was a really mediocre high school baseball player and I was fast. I was good at stealing bases. But I had zero chance at competing on an Olympic level, give me a break. But as an entrepreneur, as someone who looks for people in my organization, I'm hiring people all the time for different businesses that I run. One of the most important things that I look for and people that I hire are people who have a winning mindset. People who are able to figure out how to get things done, and who have the attitude that no matter what obstacles are in my way, I'm going to get to the end game. I'm going to get to wherever I need to get. And it's that same mindset. Yeah, I'm gonna get it done. And it's that same mindset that made you an Olympic gold medalist and it's the same mindset that makes people who are successful at whatever they do professionally, ultimately successful. So I think that there's a lot there that's extremely valuable for listeners. Now, both of your gold medals were won, not by winning individual competitions, but by contributing to winning teams. What are the key elements of a winning team, whether it's in sports, in business or in any other setting?

Natasha: You know, that's interesting because my sport, track and field, is by nature an individual sport. And it's a challenge. You know, when you think about the teammate, our teammates situation, we’re number one, we’re individual sport number two, I run for Team USA, the number one team in the world. And with that in mind, for the entire year up until we get to the trials, we are actually competitive. And then even when we get to the Olympics, you know, like, in Rio, I actually played sports in the individual 400 against my teammates, and then we have to come back and compete as a team. So it's interesting because it's like 90% of the time, it's self, self, self. And then we get to this relay, and we've got to be teammates. But I mean, I would say it's 100% understanding, I think, first and foremost, your role. And I think ego can be a big thing. And you know, a lot of times that anchor leg, the fourth leg is like the coveted spot, right? Or, you know, M.J. wants to take that winning shot, but understanding that I might not be the winning shot or the anchor leg, but I'm going to play where I'm best served, you know? I'm gonna run on the leg that I'm best in. This is how I fit with the rest of my team as well. So I think you know, being confident, of course in your skill set and what you bring to the table, also being confident in your teammates, because I think you've got to have that chemistry and that relatability and reliability on your your teammates, but then also being malleable enough to fit into the puzzle where you're needed to fit in. It's a tricky one; especially in our sport, and really understanding the dynamic, especially coming from being competitors to now having to be a teammate and I mean, it literally happens once or twice for the year. And it's, it's, I'd say the biggest thing for sure is putting your ego aside and understanding that you're doing something for all four of us. Or all six of us however you want to look at it but it really ensures that you maximize your role and what your key role is in the team aspect.

Adam: And that's so relevant. You mentioned Michael Jordan. The Chicago Bulls would not have won six championships if Scottie Pippen would have replicated the Michael Jordan role on that team. Or if the coach would have replicated the Michael Jordan role on that team. Those guys knew what they needed to do to support Michael Jordan and Ron Harper was a great shooting guard and with Cleveland, and then he went to the Bulls and played with Jordan and subjugated his game and became a real player. So I think it's relevant whether you're talking about basketball or track business.

Natasha: Yeah, M.J. knew he was gonna have to pass the ball so he couldn't take all of the shots. So yeah, everybody's got to trust. I'm learning that in my foundation that I picked certain teammates, and I've got to let them do the job that I picked them to do you know? It's a challenge, but it can be done if done right.

Adam: Very true. What are the defining characteristics of a great leader? And what can anyone do to become a better leader?

Natasha: I think this might be some of my parenting triggers coming out. But I think always being open to learning and not being afraid of admitting fault. And I guess those kind of go hand in hand because when you're able to admit your fault, you're then able to learn, right? You're then open to learning. Well, what did I do wrong here? I'm not always going to get it right. Let me learn from that instance. And I think also leading by example. But, you know, also being willing to listen. I'm always asking my team for feedback, you know, did I communicate that properly? Are we all on one accord? You know, how can I do this better? I think you always always have to be willing to learn to listen and not be so rigid. And I am a control freak so even that, like I said, allowing people to fulfill the role that they're there to fill. But overall what I'm hearing as I say this is being able to put your ego aside and just lead by example, of course, but also listen to your teammates, listen to your, I'm gonna say leaders, because I do believe you can have more than one leader in a setting and we can all learn from each other and lean on each other in different ways. But I think you've also got to allow people to be leaders as well.

Adam: Very well said Natasha, great leaders, inspire and build other great leaders. Right, right. Going back to our earlier conversation, great leaders pass the ball. When I played basketball, I passed the ball all the time, but that was because I couldn't shoot. So I was a little different. For anyone who remembers me from my childhood basketball days and is tuning in they’re saying, yep, I know that very well. Natasha, you are clearly an incredibly, highly motivated person. But how do you motivate yourself on the days that you don't feel motivated? And what advice do you have for leaders on how they could best motivate others.

Natasha: Every time I get this question I try to think of a more politically correct answer.

Adam: But you don't need to be politically correct on this show. We want you to give your best advice. Thirty Minute Mentors is all about providing listeners with the best advice possible. So what is your best advice?

Natasha: I think about the time that I'm unmotivated, the time that I don't get that workout in, or the rep that I want to skip, that's a rep that my competitor had to get better than me. That's the time that my competitor had to get better than me. And, you know, most sports psychologist or psychologist period, they'll tell you that your motivation should come from within and it should. But for me, I'm thinking about how I can be better, I guess, then yes, my past self, but also, how am I going to win the next time I step on the track and I'm not going to win if I lay here in the bed, I'm not going to win if I don't eat properly, I'm not going to win if I don't get my necessary macronutrients. I think about the opportunity that my competitor has to take advantage of me not wanting to do things at that moment. And most times, things are actually a little bit more satisfying after getting them done after not feeling like doing it. Because in some way, oddly enough, it just seems like you've pushed through and you've done it in a way that you probably wouldn't have done it. So I think about my competitor, I do. And maybe in business, that's a good thing because you want to, you want to outperform your competitors.

Adam: Spoken like a true competitor. Not not politically correct, but honest. It's advice that I think will be helpful to a lot of listeners. I want to ask you about your foundation. A key focus of your foundation is to provide safe places for young girls to discuss bullying, body image, and self love. And I actually think that those are important topics not just for young girls, but for women and men of all ages. What are your best tips for listeners on how we can combat bullying and improve our mental health?

Natasha: You know, we actually just had a session last Wednesday and we're having another one tomorrow. And I brought up, you know, in talking about body image, you know, speak positively to yourself, speak light into yourself. But one thing that I mentioned to the girls is that I don't envy them growing up in this day and age because when I was growing up in the 90’s, in the early 2000’s, it was when the magazines and the internet was just kind of sort of coming about, but now you have social media. And so now you're not only comparing yourself against these, you know, outlandish standards of beauty, but now you also have people that hide behind their keyboards and will bully you and say, mean things. And what I say to that is, you've got to learn how to protect your peace. So, not only do you have to speak life into yourself and be careful of how you speak to yourself, you know, I say two things; be careful how you speak to yourself, because you might be listening, but also if it's something that you wouldn't say to your girlfriend or a close friend, don't say it to yourself. And then with social media like there are certain channels, people, outlets. Don't let that into your space. You know, don't respond. So be mindful of what you're putting out there because now things live forever on the internet. But I think it largely starts with protecting your space, protecting your peace, but also making sure that you're at peace with it, and how you're speaking to yourself.

Adam: I think that's great. I want to ask you one last question, which is on mentorship, a key theme of this show and a key theme of your foundation. How can anyone find a great mentor and how can anyone become a great mentor?

Natasha: I think you definitely have to look for someone that is in a similar position to where you want to be. Now, obviously, sometimes it can get a little tricky because sometimes that mentor might be like, well, wait a minute, you're coming to take my spot. But I think you definitely want to find that and sometimes your mentor could actually be your peer. I mean, I have friends that are, because of our walks of lives. I've been a professional athlete for my entire adulthood and I have friends that have moved on to their professional careers. But now that I'm transitioning into my professional life after athletics, they're my mentor. But I think it is really establishing someone that can definitely be someone that you obviously get along with, first of all, but someone that you admire and is willing to give you that mentorship, that guidance. For me and my mentorship I think a lot about- and this is where the overall mission for the Natasha Hastings Foundation came from- is thinking about my journey and the gaps that I wish someone would have filled, you know? The initiatives are because those are things that I struggled with, you know, so, in knowing those are things that I struggled with, but also having conversations with my peers and realizing, wait a minute, this is a thing that a lot of girls go through, why not reach back and fill that void? So even, you know, doing your job of finding out what others might need, or, you know, just finding that area that you felt like, wait a minute, this is missing here and more people could benefit from something like this, you know, then you do the work to create your own space to be the mentor.

Adam: I think that's great advice. And thanks so much for sharing it. And thank you so much for all the great advice and for joining us on the podcast.

Natasha: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.