Attitude is Everything: Interview with Olympian Samantha Clayton
I recently went one on one with former Olympic track star Samantha Clayton. Samantha is currently is the Vice President of Sports Performance and Fitness Education for Herbalife Nutrition.
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. What is your sharpest or most significant memory from your Olympic experience?
Samantha: Thank you so much for having me. Very grateful for this opportunity. I will never forget the feeling of walking onto the Olympic track for the first time. Walking out of the athlete tunnel into a crowd of cheers was everything I imagined it would be. I was so nervous to compete at this new level as a 21-year-old athlete, but my butterflies instantly subsided as I found comfort in the British flags in the crowd. As I set up my blocks next to some of the world’s most elite athletes, I took a quick second to glance at the Olympic torch. It was an overwhelming feeling to know “this is it.” I remember the smell of the new rubber track like it was yesterday. I set my blocks up with the wrong foot forward and it brought me back to a quick harsh reality—no more mistakes, it’s time to focus”—it was time to work; no time for feeling overwhelmed. I quickly fixed my blocks and went into competition mode.
Adam: What is something that would surprise people about the life of an Olympian?
Samantha: It is everything but glamorous. It’s a grind, it's sweaty, it's painful and the workload is more intense than most people understand. The athlete mantra of “Eat, train, sleep, repeat” is true, but when you also add in the fact that most Olympic competitors have regular jobs to navigate, school, or both. In fact, during the four years leading up to the Olympic games I spent 8 hours a day in a chemistry lab as a technician. My athletic training was done both before and after work, and my university classes were squeezed in at night. Most people are surprised to find out that only a small percentage of competitors have the luxury of the financial support to be a full-time athlete. We love the sport so much that we are willing to do what it takes both on and off the field.
Adam: How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Samantha: My journey from elite athlete to corporate wellness executive was not without its challenges. Ultimately, I would say my growth can be contributed to a winning mindset.
I believe that you cannot grow unless you use mistakes or use losing moments as learning opportunities. Choose to make the time to participate in things throughout your life to help guide you to the next step of your life. I have taken the time to understand what drives me outside of competing in sport. Every athlete must find a new purpose once they remove their running shoes. Some struggle to transition into a new phase of life, but I am lucky that I have been able to continue to set goals and have found ultimate happiness in helping others to fall in love with the power of exercise and good nutrition.
I owe my success to my mother; she infused me with a strong sense of self-belief that has powered me through life and given me the courage to set big bold goals. A saying I carry with myself every day is, “if you are helping others you are winning.” Athletes are often put into a box, there is a stereotype that has been created that we are athletic and not smart, that we are gifted and not hard working. This narrative is one challenge I take head-on and one that has pushed me to grow in areas of my life that were put on hold for sport. I am so happy that my own children understand that hard work, dedication, and sacrifice is a winning recipe.
Adam: What are the best lessons you learned from your athletic career applicable to life outside of sports?
Samantha: Being an athlete requires both a physical and mental focus that must become a natural part of your daily lifestyle. Similarly in life, success comes from creating positive mental habits and having a physical routine that includes optimal nutrition, ample rest, and suitable recovery.
Properly caring for your mind, body and your overall health ultimately spills into every aspect of your life. I’ve also learned that greatness is accomplished by a team, rarely by an individual. Having a support system is the key to all success in life. Having people to work alongside, expertise to pull from, finding kind words to encourage others and inspire them drives success. Having accountability partners to stand besides, the power of community is something sport taught me at an early age. I try to live this in my everyday life and I believe that the reason I find so much joy in my current role as a wellness executive at Herbalife Nutrition, is because I know I’m part of something bigger than just me.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Samantha: Coming from an athletic background, the importance of coaching and having a supportive culture and successful mindset, is something I’ve taken with me throughout my entire career.
When working with my company’s sponsored athletes and teams, like the LA Galaxy, our team-educated sports performance and nutrition experts work collaboratively with different athletes to provide them a personal nutrition plan and fitness plan to help them reach their definition of success.
In my opinion, coaching and leadership are one and the same. Effective coaching or leadership involves recognizing that each person or player has their own unique starting point and desired destination and understanding how to draw from that individual’s strengths to help them reach their goals while also hitting company goals. This drives success for the entire organization.
Having a solid team culture is also an essential component for success. Whether on the field or a conference room, it is important to be knowledgeable and consistent. A team culture involves:
A winning strategy: Sport is the ultimate environment for competitive strategy—in both cases you are result-focused, timing is competitive strategy drives innovation or the difference in skillset to get the job done and bring value to the team or organization.
Motivation and Support: This returns to the coaching/leadership element, but leaders who provide support, motivation, and accountability are in a better position to empower their team to perform at higher levels and reach their desired results. Employees or athletes will benefit more from the knowledge, experience, and mentorship a supportive leader provides.
Improve skillsets, encourage education. Taking stake in your team’s professional development and encouraging them to identify goals that interest them not only helps make them a better employee, but also motivates them happier to work for you in return. In fact, after working alongside so many health and wellness experts and scientists in my company for so many years, I made the decision to go back to school and receive my master’s degree in Public Health. While I’ve already been in the business of personal fitness and health and empowering individuals to take ownership of their health, I wanted to expand on this and have a foundation to understand further the root causes of health problems and be a part of the long-lasting solutions that proactively prevent them and keep populations healthy.
It’s never too late to stop learning, and there are no limits as to how far continued education can help empower and grow self-efficacy, both personally and professionally.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Samantha:
Persistence — Failure is inevitable when you’re starting something new, trying to grow or scale or make changes. When running track, I did not initially qualify for international events right out of trials. I spent the next few weeks chasing the time at various meets. I never gave up hope and at the last opportunity before the deadline — in the rain from lane 1 (which is a bad lane for 200m) — I smashed the time goal. My attitude of pushing forward and to keep trying is what got me to the international stage.
Live Positively — A positive attitude allows you to believe that you can do anything. I’m always of the mindset that everything will work out one way or another. With all the travel I have done around the world, there have been many occasions where my bag has gone missing, and even without the right clothes I’ve shown up to do my job with a smile. I don’t let the things I can’t control change my energy. Positivity in meetings helps encourage everyone in the room to get the job done.
Consideration for your team — The little things go a long way. I do everything I can to make sure I put my team’s feelings before my own. I think whether you’re an athlete, a parent, or you’re at an office job, learn what’s important to your team, and if you’re considerate of their needs, you can be successful. I often recognize the great work of others by writing cards or sending a small token of my appreciation. Even when my kids do an unexpected chore at home, I’ll leave them a little note on their bed to ensure they know I appreciate them.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Samantha: “Attitude is everything.” I know it can sound cliché, but this is my motto in life, and I’m raising my kids with the same set of principles. As a child raised by a single mother in government housing, I was taught that with hard work, dedication, and sacrifice, anything is possible. It’s exciting to see my own children realizing that to be good at anything it takes a lot of hard work.
Mental preparedness is also a huge part of overcoming performance anxiety, so being able to quiet your mind and focus, and believe in yourself can make all the difference, whether you’re stepping up to the start line, making a sale, or presenting to a client.
Adam: How can anyone develop a winning mindset?
Samantha: These are the three ways I’m able to focus on keeping a positive mindset:
Preparation. Planning is the key to success. A winning mindset is about staying positive, on top of the task(s) at hand, and being ready to pivot at a moment’s notice. Nothing is more important than your time, and you need to make the most of it, so being prepared and disciplined goes a long way. I schedule my gym sessions and pre-plan my weekly nutrition menu to ensure I stay on track.
I believe healthy nutrition is essential for everyone. Through a balanced, nutritious diet, not only do you help your body perform at its best, but you provide it with the necessary ingredients to repair and rejuvenate. Allowing yourself time to exercise also allows your body to burn excess calories, calm anxiety and in turn, you’ll become more efficient for it.
Positive affirmations. I believe there’s a ton of power in positive affirmations, goal setting, and manifesting what you want to happen in your life, whether it’s by making vision boards, writing an affirmation, or looking at something positive every morning. You have to believe in yourself, and surround yourself with a supportive, like-minded team or network of colleagues, which also helps with accountability.
Embrace Mistakes. When the time comes to act, you must not be easily disappointed with an unfavorable outcome. Instead, use the loss or missed opportunity to improve. No successful person has gotten to where they are without making mistakes.
Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Samantha: Everyone has a gift to give to the world. I encourage everyone to make the time to find their purpose and, as the saying goes, they will never work another day in their life. When you finally start feeling like your contributions are helping or improving the lives of others, that’s when you feel like you’ve won.
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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