In short
Serena Williams discusses mindset and daily habits for sustained excellence, then connects those lessons to venture capital and entrepreneurship—covering investing early, evaluating companies by market need and customer demand, building a team, advocating for diversity in leadership, and her business relationships (Nike, fashion partnerships, and sports ownership).
Guests
Serena Williams (23-time Grand Slam tennis champion; investor/VC; founder/partner in venture investing; long-time Nike athlete; fashion and brand collaborations; co-owner/investor in sports teams including the Miami Dolphins). The host/other speakers are not clearly identified in the transcript.
Key claims
- Mental fortitude comes from reframing pressure: being “hyped to play me” as motivation to improve.
- Elite performance is driven by daily habits and continuous self-improvement (e.g., learning new words/languages).
- “Balance” can mean 90% focus plus non-tennis outlets for mental health.
- In VC, prioritize market need and who needs it; rely on numbers over “loving the founder.”
- Diversity matters in who writes checks and in corporate leadership.
Notable examples
- VC: 16 unicorn investments; “unicorn” defined as $1B valuation.
- Missed deal: Uber—she recognized it but lacked capacity/team at the time.
- Team lesson: delegation after capacity overload.
- Nike: pushed for more women/Black women internally; Nike leadership changed after her advocacy.
- Sports ownership: investment in the Miami Dolphins (about 17–18 years ago).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOThe Mindset of a Champion
0:45 to 1:19
Discussion on the mental fortitude required for excellence in sports.
“make sharper decisions, and turn scattered context into work they can use.”
The Mindset of a Champion
2:19 to 3:19
Discussion on the mental fortitude required for excellence in sports.
“When someone tells you every day that you're going to be great, at some point you start to believe it.”
Investing Insights from Serena Williams
3:21 to 6:41
Serena shares her experience in venture capital and investment strategies.
“Is there a need for this company in the marketplace?”
Balance and the Road to Greatness
6:41 to 11:23
Exploration of balance in life and career from a female athlete's perspective.
“So it takes a lot of mental strength, but it also, you know, I've been reading a lot of motivational quotes lately.”
The Entrepreneurial Spirit
11:23 to 13:20
Serena discusses her journey into entrepreneurship and the lessons learned.
“I went to pre-med briefly, and then I also did fashion.”
The Entrepreneurial Spirit
14:05 to 15:03
Serena discusses her journey into entrepreneurship and the lessons learned.
“We compare flights, prices, hotel rates, and restaurant options.”
The Entrepreneurial Spirit
15:08 to 16:12
Serena discusses her journey into entrepreneurship and the lessons learned.
“Framer's AI agents work alongside your team to create content, refine pages, manage your CMS, and optimize your SEO all in one place.”
Lessons from Entrepreneurship
16:19 to 20:48
Learn about personal experiences influencing entrepreneurial spirit.
“He had like a security business and he never really worked for anyone.”
Understanding Venture Capital
20:48 to 21:54
Gain insights into the venture capital world and its challenges.
“I thought my little thousand percent was nice.”
Evaluating Investment Opportunities
21:54 to 23:05
Discover how to assess companies for investment potential.
“Well, I remember I was on the court and I was thinking, why am I still on the court?”
Show all 27 chapters
Learning from Missed Opportunities
23:05 to 25:53
Hear about missed investments and the lessons learned from them.
“I'm not sure we're going to participate in?”
The Importance of Teamwork
25:53 to 28:04
Understand the value of having a strong team in business.
“but I love that I recognized the company.”
Learning Leadership Through Tennis
28:04 to 30:08
Discover how Serena Williams learned leadership skills through her tennis career and team dynamics.
“When you're doing it in a solo career, it's great because everything falls on you and all the successes happen because of you.”
The Role of Positive Affirmation
30:08 to 31:50
Explore the impact of daily positive affirmations instilled by Serena's father on her mindset.
“personalities and dealing with people that don't like each other and all that stuff.”
The Role of Positive Affirmation
33:50 to 34:16
Explore the impact of daily positive affirmations instilled by Serena's father on her mindset.
“It's about knowing where your money is working for you.”
Mindset of a Champion
35:32 to 38:26
Hear Serena discuss how her belief in being number one has shaped her career.
“When I went out there and I started playing, I just, I don't know.”
Sisterhood and Business Ventures
38:26 to 42:04
Serena reflects on her bond with her sister Venus and their joint investments.
“and get to know and get our foot into other doors, other really big doors.”
Evolving Relationship with Nike
42:04 to 44:04
Learn about Serena Williams' advocacy for diversity within Nike and her evolving relationship with the company.
“Mark Parker and it was a very interesting conversation and kudos to Mark because he literally changed what Nike is internally.”
Confidence in Influence
44:04 to 46:36
Discover how Serena Williams found the confidence to speak up and influence change within a billion-dollar company.
“Let me just follow up on that because essentially what you're saying is like you advocated for more women, more black women to be in the office, right?”
Support in Business and Family
46:36 to 48:06
Explore how Serena and her partner navigate business discussions at home amidst raising young children.
“But I think he heard the passion behind this has to change.”
Support in Business and Family
48:11 to 50:25
Explore how Serena and her partner navigate business discussions at home amidst raising young children.
“Obviously, your partner is extremely successful in the world of business, you're extremely in the world of business, do those conversations ever collide at home or do we keep that separate, right?”
Future Opportunities in Business
51:41 to 54:01
Analyze the industries and technologies that may create significant opportunities over the next decade.
“And I think we work so much, respectively, just we just kind of want to come home and unwind and relax.”
Mentorship and Generational Impact
54:01 to 56:00
Understand Serena's perspective on mentoring the next generation of female athletes in business.
“When you watch them in the world of professionalism in terms of just playing tennis, how do you feel as they get into the world of business, right?”
Resilience and Lessons from Loss
56:00 to 58:19
Serena discusses resilience, the lessons learned from mistakes, and the importance of hard work.
“Well, in early stage venture, because I'm in the early stage space.”
Motivation for a Comeback
58:20 to 1:00:19
Serena shares her motivations for returning to tennis and the impact on her daughters.
“You said she's back, and now one person's clapping?”
Measuring Success as a Parent
1:00:20 to 1:02:54
Serena reflects on how she measures success now that she is a parent and her priorities.
“I think if we're talking about tennis, I think it would be, which I never thought I would say in my life, winning a few matches, not a tournament.”
Adapting Goals and Personal Growth
1:02:55 to 1:04:10
Serena emphasizes the importance of setting personal goals and ongoing growth.
“What's some last words that you can give to a group of people that's trying to get to the next level?”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. Ernest, what's up? Look, building wealth isn't just about making money. It's about knowing where your money is working for you. That's why we partnered with Empower. Empower is all about helping you invest well so you can go out and live a little. Their free Empower personal dashboard gives you a complete view of your financial life in one place. Track your net worth, monitor your budget, analyze your investments, set retirement goals, and more. You worked hard for your money. Now make sure it's working hard for you. Download the Empower personal dashboard or visit Empower.com.
0:37Not an Empower client paid or sponsored. Today's episode is brought to you by ChatGPT for Business. As a listener of this podcast, you're looking for ways to help teams move faster, make sharper decisions, and turn scattered context into work they can use. ChatGPT for Business can help. Chat GPT for Business gives teams a shared workspace with admin controls, permissions, and access to work and codecs in Chat GPT. This means your business can move from question to answer and code to rollout quicker. Join over 10 million business and enterprise users worldwide already using Chat GPT for Work. Download the Chat GPT desktop app or contact sales to learn more.
1:19When traveling for events or festivals throughout the country, every dollar matters. We compare flights, prices, hotel rates, and restaurant options. So why wouldn't we compare rides? Personally, I always check Lyft before booking a ride. Prices can change throughout the day depending on traffic, weather, and what's happening in the city. If you're headed to a concert, out to dinner, or catching up with your friends on a Friday night, taking a few seconds to check Lyft could leave you with more money to enjoy the experience. Save money. Check Lyft. They don't realize smart people use smartphones, huh?
1:52Seeing through BS they thought was gonna slide Download TextNow cause it cuts out clownery You can literally activate it from your couch Nationwide 5G with the same towers the other companies use Pay what you want or not at all You're in control Show these ridiculous carriers we ain't paying for stupid Because we're way too smart to pay dumb Free app-based talk and text via the TextNow app Requires Wi-Fi or data connection Data plans sold separately 5G where available When someone tells you every day that you're going to be great, at some point you start to believe it. Talk about the mental fortitude that it takes to maintain that level of excellence for over 25 years.
2:30Serena Williams:You guys are looking at the biggest companies and you're looking at what are the best in class doing. But as an athlete, have so many people look at you and say, okay, she's the best. What do I need to do to be the best and to beat the best? And I have nothing to lose while I'm doing it. 13 unicorns you invested in? 16. That means that company's valuation reached a billion dollars. I thought my little thousand percent was nice. What was it like when you saw the first company reach that billion dollar market? Well, I remember I was on the court and I was thinking, why am I still on the court? What inspired you to actually get into the VC world?
3:02Serena Williams:My main thing is just letting people know, hire women, hire people of color, hire us, think differently. Is there a story of a company that you may have missed out on that later on it was like, wow, I wish I would have actually invested in that one? Losing is a way to learn how to win the next time. We all need to have those losses to better ourselves. What are you looking at when you're evaluating a company? Is there a need for this company in the marketplace? And the answer is yes, then we go on to step two of who needs it? How many people need it? Serena, what's up? Hey, I never had pyrotechnics.
3:37Yes, yes, that's the word. That's the word. That was cool. Pyro. How are you feeling? I'm feeling good. Thanks for having me. Hey, everyone. Woo! This is fun. This is kind of like a center stage. What? This is center stage, center court, very similar. Yes, very similar. So this is interesting because you're our first female headliner at InvestFest. Clap it up for that. Oh! That's awesome. Yay. Yeah. We can do it, too. I've been saying that for decades. We're just as good, right? Across the board. Her name is Serena also. So I see your son. Love. Your name is Serena. I see it. Your name is Serena too.
4:23Oh, my name is Serena too. Thank you. Hey. Thank you. Thank you. Love you back. Love. Hi. Okay. Before we start, what are your words to it? But like, what is this feel to see this crowd of us that's here to hear you speak? What's your words to the crowd?
4:44Serena Williams:It feels great. Thank you all for being here and coming out. And it feels good that I'm able to talk to people that look like me and give some, hopefully you guys get some good advice too. It feels even better for that reason. I want to start with just the mindset, right? growing up Compton and working your way, your childhood sensation and fulfilling the prophecy. What is the mental fortitude that it takes? Because, you know, 23-time Grand Slam champion, like, it's very rare that we get an opportunity to speak to somebody that has done it at the highest level possible, right? It's just like, no, for sure.
5:23When I think of you, I think of Kobe, Michael Jordan, and, you know, that's the highest level. So talk about the mental fortitude that it takes to maintain that level of excellence for over 25 years. It's not easy for sure. You have to be either extremely mentally tough or a couple chips loose.
5:50Serena Williams:I'm not sure which one it was with me. but it takes a lot because when you are playing at a high level and you're doing something at a high level people people want to play you they want to be you they want to face the best and see how they measure up like they have absolutely nothing to lose and it's like any company as well when if we all out here some of you guys are entrepreneurs probably most of you all entrepreneurs when you think about it you guys are looking at the biggest companies and you're looking at what are the best in class doing? And so to have that always as an athlete, a different level, obviously, but as an athlete, have so many people look at you and say, okay, she's the best.
6:34Serena Williams:What do I need to do to be the best and to beat the best? And I have nothing to lose while I'm doing it. So it takes a lot of mental strength, but it also, you know, I've been reading a lot of motivational quotes lately. It's also how you look at it. If you look at things in a negative way, then you'll see things in a negative way. But if you look at things in a positive way, with a positive spin, then you'll see it positively. I can say, okay, well, gosh, everyone is so hyped to play me, you know, and it sucks. Or I can say, you know what, everyone is so hyped to play me, and it's great because they're making me better.
7:12Serena Williams:And eventually, I started to think and look at it like that. Okay. I'm glad you said that because for most of your career, most people were saying she's great. I'm not sure if I'll ever be that great. Right. But talent is something that a lot of people possess. What separates the elite are the daily habits. So, so what are some of the habits obviously in business, but even as an athlete that you possess, that you see that your counterparts, they lacked in. Just this, this will to always do better. Just this idea, I always want to be better. I recently told myself, I need to be smarter. And just to segue into business here, just, I just was like, I got to do something every day.
8:02Serena Williams:And so you just like that everyday mindset, right? Is what are you doing every day? And it doesn't have to be hours. It could just be something very small. So I started just, I downloaded the app where I look at a new word that I don't know every day. And I just try just to somehow better myself every day. And the same as an athlete, it was different for me. It was more on a yearly basis. Every year, I would just say, okay, even if I was number one or whatever ranking I was, I would say, all right, I'm doing great, but this is what I want to do next year to be better. So it was never about becoming complacent, and it's about little things.
8:41Serena Williams:I wouldn't change my entire game, obviously, and just like now, I don't change, I'm not trying to learn the whole dictionary, if that's even a book anymore, or a thing. Wordle. Yeah, exactly. I just do fun things, and I just try to make myself a little bit better. I'm trying to learn another language, or just something that I actually really enjoy. And it, you know, just keeps my brain going. Were you speaking Spanish backstage? Italian. I'm like, yo, she just changed her language on us. It's so fun. I love languages. And it's cool. What do you feel about balance? Because Shannon Sharp, I don't know if you heard when he said that there is no balance on the road to greatness.
9:26And we've seen, you know, like I said, going back to Kobe and Mike, But I never really heard a woman's perspective on that, right? Because a man, like most of the time, what I've heard that said before is from men. You as somebody that, like I said, is on that level, but is also a woman, a mother, a wife. What is your thoughts on balance? Because I'm sure there's a lot of women in here, right?
9:52Serena Williams:I love that question, the way you put it. I think you put it a different way. um so you're right you only hear I love that Shannon said that there is no balance on the road to being great um I would like to challenge that I think for me I had to be balanced and at the time I was mostly single and I didn't have kids so I don't know how to I don't know how I would manage now if I were playing a full-time tennis every day I don't think that would be possible. I think you do have to be selfish in order to be the best. And again, if you look at the best companies in the world, these people are rather quite selfish.
10:33Serena Williams:But I do think there is a little more balance for me when I was playing, you know, not towards the end, but like in the beginning, I never celebrated a win. Like I would just be like, okay, I'm on to the next one. But in the second half of my career, you know, I celebrated the championships because it was fun. And it was like you never know if you're going to win another one so it's important to like enjoy those moments and try to create a little balance because you know the sport is so grueling and it's every day and it's so intense so it's important to just kind of just let your hair down a little bit and also I didn't play every as much as a lot of people played tennis I played I didn't play every week.
11:19Serena Williams:So for me, that was balance. I went to school when I was still playing. I went to pre-med briefly, and then I also did fashion. So that also created balance for me just to like get out of my head of just balls, hitting a ball in a square box, which sounds absolutely ridiculous. But so it was, it's really important. It was really important for me to have something different, which I realize now was actually good for my mental health. At the time, I didn't realize that. And I also feel like it was my form of balance. So I personally, for me, I do think you need to do 100%. Like, you know, there's this adage that you have to, in order to be the best at something, you have to focus on that one thing.
12:04But I feel like you can do that with a little dipping
12:08Serena Williams:in little other places as long as you're like 90 % there. Can I tell you something? I've seen a lot of great athletes at the highest level. I've never seen someone win a major while pregnant. Clap it up for that, please. I got two kids, Serena. I was with my wife every day throughout the pregnancy. Walking was a win. Yeah. I want to talk about just that level of perseverance, that grit, that determination. As you're playing, as obviously your career is established, when did the passion switch or did you start getting that itch for business? Obviously, you dabbled in fashion, but what you're doing now is a little bit more complex.
12:57When did that switch start to change for you?
13:00Serena Williams:Well, my entrepreneurship started when I was in fourth grade. I used to buy a box of Edmund donuts. And there was a dollar. And I sold each one for 25 cents. and a hustler and a making. Hustler. They call it hustling, but that was an entrepreneur. Yes. But my dad was also an entrepreneur as well. He had his own business. Quick one before you jump back in. You're listening for ways to help teams move faster, make sharper decisions, and turn scattered context into work they can use. ChatGPT for Business can help. Chat GPT for Business gives teams a shared workspace with admin controls, permissions, and access to work and codecs in Chat GPT.
13:48This means your business can move from question to answer and code to rollout quicker. Join over 10 million business and enterprise users worldwide already using Chat GPT for Work. Download the Chat GPT desktop app or contact sales to learn more. When traveling for events or festivals throughout the country, every dollar matters. We compare flights, prices, hotel rates, and restaurant options. So why wouldn't we compare rides? Personally, I always check Lyft before booking a ride. Prices can change throughout the day depending on traffic, weather, and what's happening in the city. If you're headed to a concert, out to dinner, or catching up with your friends on a Friday night, taking a few seconds to check Lyft could leave you with more money to enjoy the experience.
14:32Save money. Check Lyft. Ernest, what's up? Look, building wealth isn't just about making money. It's about knowing where your money is working for you. That's why we partnered with Empower. Empower is all about helping you invest well so you can go out and live a little. Their free Empower personal dashboard gives you a complete view of your financial life in one place. Track your net worth, monitor your budget, analyze your investments, set retirement goals, and more. You've worked hard for your money. Now make sure it's working hard for you. Download the Empower personal dashboard or visit Empower.com.
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16:19Serena Williams:He had like a security business and he never really worked for anyone. And looking back, I don't know what that meant. but when you were younger you just thought oh wow this guy really does his own thing you know and um so I think he kind of taught myself and are the kids in the house that all the sisters that you know you really want to just be your own boss and you always want to work for yourself and you always want to create you always want to just do things for yourself and I've literally my whole life that's all I've ever seen and that's all I've ever known and I kind of just feel like I'm joking but I was really in fourth grade I think is when I first noticed it and then I remember I used to sell we used to have these fantastic garage sales I don't know you know we would sell all kinds of stuff like crazy shoes and stuff I'm not sure if I should have done that at the time I was young, and we would make a killing.
17:20Serena Williams:But it was always something, and then eventually I ended up going to fashion school, and eventually I just got into investing really early, about 15, 16 years ago. I started looking more into investing and what that meant for the future, what that meant for technology changes, et cetera. So I kind of started looking more into investing. Well, speaking about that, what inspired you to go into the venture capital world? And really, you know, it's one thing to invest, but it's one thing to actually have your own fund. And then, you know, growing into a successful fund, we'll talk about that. But what inspired you to actually get into the VC world?
18:02Serena Williams:Well, so I was investing for several years before I decided to get into the VC world. I was always an angel investor. I didn't know when I first started investing, I didn't know the word angel. I didn't know early stage, but that's kind of the place that I ended up. And I always loved investing in early stage companies. I think I loved seeing them grow. I think I love seeing things form like a seed. And then you see the seed grow into a plant and then you see the whole journey. I think there was something about that that really resonated with me. um so i was at a conference once and this lady was on stage and she was talking about how less than two percent of all vc money went to to women and then fractions went to people that looked like me people of color and i was just like gosh if i want to start a business then i have to have i have to go get a loan from the bank because i'm not going to be able to get vc money and you know it It was just, it was just, it hit me like a ton of bricks.
19:04Serena Williams:And I said, for me, I think the best way to change that is not necessarily giving out more money. I think it's changing who's writing the checks. We need more women writing checks. We need more people like us writing checks. Because if the same person is writing the check, it's obviously going to go to the same friends and the same people that look like them. So in a way, it makes sense. Like, okay, I see why they're doing it. I would do it too. Hence why we need people like me writing checks. So we can put money in. We can invest in ourselves. And we can invest in other companies that are going to be great and support as well.
19:44Serena Williams:So that's kind of, that was the original, that was how I got into VC. I never wanted to do a startup. And I ended up starting this. And it was a startup. and startups, as you all know, it takes a tremendous amount of time. And it was very natural. And I decided that this is what I wanted to do. I don't feel like I'm going to change that number. I never tried to change the number. My main thing is just letting people know, hire women, hire people, hire people of color, hire us, hire... Think differently, be diverse. And I think that's so important when you have that diversity, not only when you're looking at companies, but also on the cap table and also when it comes to just people writing the checks.
20:34This is interesting. I want to get this number right. 13 unicorns you invested in? 16. 16. I knew I was going to get it right. 16 unicorns. Explain what a unicorn is. For those who are not familiar with the word unicorn in terms of venture capital, that means that company's valuation reached a billion dollars. Yes. A billion. A billion. I thought my little thousand percent was nice. You got 16 billion dollar companies that you've invested in, which is an amazing feat. Kind of a two part question. what was it like when you got you saw the first company reach that billion dollar market what was that feeling like what's up earners look empower is all about helping you invest well so you can go out and live a little and their free empower personal dashboard shows you your full financial life in one place you're able to see your net worth monitor budgets analyze your portfolio set retirement goals and so much more whether you're saving for something big want to treat yourself, friends, or family members, or just trying to reach long-term goals.
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22:01Well, I remember I was on the court and I was thinking, why am I still on the court? That literally was my first thought.
22:09Yes, that was literally my, you asked, that was my first thought.
22:13Serena Williams:But it was really exciting, you know, because it was kind of cool to see them continue to grow. The first company that I invested at reached a billion, they were already pretty far along. Like, well, not super far along, but they were like, you know, a hundred million dollar company. but then I had a couple of more companies that started as a seed and watching that seed grow into a plant it was really really exciting because being able to be there and help and say we should try this or you should try that and what if you did this and seeing those companies grow to be billion dollar companies was really really awesome.
22:52So the second part is you've done it so there's obviously a track record of success what are you looking at when you're evaluating a company to say, this is one that I can see the potential growth, and that one I'm not sure we're going to participate in?
23:07Serena Williams:Well, first, the first thing I look at is just rely on my team, and hear their thoughts. I also look at one of the very, very first thing is, is there a need for it? You know, is there a need for this company in the marketplace? And if that answer is yes, then we go on to step two. Okay, yeah, we can see this happening. Who needs it? How many people need it? So we dive a lot into the numbers. We don't really do with the emotions of, oh, I love it. I love the founder. It's great. We're more or less like, you know, just what are the numbers like? How many customers will we need? What is the possibility of them getting to have all these customers and et cetera.
23:52Serena Williams:So that's kind of how we look at it initially. And then, um, and we can just continue to dive and do lots of work from there. Um, is there a story of a company that you may have missed out on that later on it was like, wow, I wish, I wish I would have actually invested in that one. Well, I like to think that I didn't miss out on it. Um, and the thing is it helped me. You know, I always say that losing is a way to learn how to win the next time. And it's not necessarily a failure. It's a bettering yourself. We all need to have those losses to better ourselves. So I had an opportunity to invest in this really cool company and I loved it.
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24:34Serena Williams:I said, this is the future. Oh my God. This is like, this is amazing. I get it. I totally get what they're trying to do. I want to do it. But I was in the middle of playing a tournament at the time. It was like right up at Grand Slam season. And I was in Rome playing there. Then I went straight to French Open. And then I remember thinking, okay, I'm going to call back. I'm going to figure this out. Like, I really want to do this deal. And I think I may have won the French Open that year. So I never had a chance. And I got really sick. And then it was Wimbledon right after. It was just a lot of things happening.
25:12Serena Williams:Eventually the deal left and I forgot about it. Things happened and then it came back and it was just too far. Looking back, it wasn't too far, but it was still too far gone. And I was like, okay, the lesson there is that I need a team. And that's when I got a team. I was still doing, this is when I was only doing personal investments, but that's when I got a team. I was like, I'm not in delegation is so important because I used to think I could do everything myself, and I still do, but I've learned that more and more as day goes by, I learned that I really need people that can help me vet, take care, take the phone calls, take the time to do things that I simply don't have time to do, and that company was Uber, but I love that I recognized the company.
25:56Uber? Uber. Oh, wow. May have heard of it.
25:59Serena Williams:But I love that I recognized greatness, and I really understood what they were trying to do, so it would have been 17, but I took solace in the fact that A, I recognized it A, I really wanted to do it or B, I really wanted to do it but I just, I needed a team I was doing it all by myself but then I was able to get a lot more because I did develop that team and I did get someone else that was able to help me take care of all the nuances behind the scenes I just want to follow up on that because that's important for people to understand capacity overload is something that we all deal with it's happened to me before where it's like you pride yourself when you forget something or when you realize that you didn't call a person back.
26:37There's always that one aha moment where it's like, I don't have the capacity to do this anymore without somebody helping me. And that's extremely important for people to understand. You're only going to go as far as the people that you hire, you work with, you have in your circle. So whether that's an assistant, whether that's a partner, if you don't have enough money, you got to partner with somebody, give them equity. But really talk about the value from sports world to business world of having strong, qualified people that you can rely on that can help you go further as opposed to doing everything yourself.
27:11Yeah.
27:12Serena Williams:It's so important. And a lot of the things I talk about now, it really involves around team. Team can make or break you, but you need someone. That's why I said delegate. Like, it's great if you want to, you're starting something, you want to put everything on your shoulders. It's okay to delegate because that load gets heavy. It gets heavy to a point where you might forget things or you might not be able to do as much. You might not be as good as you actually can be without someone, you know, helping you along. Um, and I learned that and I felt like it was a hard lesson to learn, but I was, I was okay.
27:49Serena Williams:You know, I also tried not to live too much in the past, and just try to keep moving forward. You play in a sport, obviously, if you're not playing doubles, most of the times you're by yourself, so it can feel very isolating. When you're doing it in a solo career, it's great because everything falls on you and all the successes happen because of you. I wonder, in the world of business, did you have to learn leadership? And what was that process like of delegating to people now when you know that the results are not solely dependent on your business acumen. It's kind of that team that you talked about building.
28:29Serena Williams:Yeah, I had to learn leadership, but I was fortunate enough to learn leadership in tennis. Tennis started out as a completely solo sport, and it still is. However, when I first started playing professional tennis, it was just myself and, you know, my dad and my sister and everyone else had themselves and maybe a coach, and that's it. And that's how tennis was. But as time grew on, as the years passed, we really started to develop teams. Tennis players got much more professional or more into just the whole big picture. And teams grew from like two, three people to like six, seven, eight people, which is a small team.
29:13Serena Williams:But at the same time, you're leading that entire team. And so for a number of years, I had to create a team. And I was actually one of the first people to start this professionalism of just getting a lot of people on my team to bring out the best in myself in order to try to reach records and break records. And so doing that was a full-time job in itself. until I found it and finding another leader to delegate more and finding just everyone that could fit in the right pieces. And having team meetings, having team calls, like doing everything together and delegating and being the leader of that team really taught me a lot about how to lead when I went to VC.
29:58Serena Williams:Of course, at the time, I didn't know that it was teaching me that, but I definitely was able to get a tremendous amount of experience of building and growing and dealing with different personalities and dealing with people that don't like each other and all that stuff. And I'm still figuring out a way how to make it work for the greater good. Speaking about team, working, family, I know we all saw the movie, King Richard. Talk about your dad. Like, when did you actually buy into the vision that he had for you? Or did you always believe in the vision that he had for you? And I know he was your first coach.
30:33We all know the story. So kind of what is your thoughts on looking back on it now, like how that molded you to who you are today? I don't know. When someone tells you every day that you're going to be great, at some point you start to believe it. Clap it up for that. That's important. Yeah. And I always say that my dad is way ahead of his time. he's doing things that people now are just starting to do. And he told myself, he told my sister every day, we were gonna be number one. We were gonna win Grand Slams. We were gonna be the best. And then he told us to tell ourselves that we were the best.
31:18And we had to look in the mirror and tell ourselves that we were the best. And so I think there really is something
31:25Serena Williams:to positive reformation to yourself and telling yourself every day that you're great, you're you're going to be the best um positive affirmation um you know I'm so many places right now but I want to be here um so I feel like there's something to that and so I don't know and I still think even with all that positivity I still think there was a like a little part of me because I was really small when I was growing, when I was young, and I didn't grow up until much later in life. And I wasn't that big, and I wasn't that strong, and I wasn't that good. And I just hit lobs all the time, and so I couldn't really, I mean, I was a fighter.
32:19Serena Williams:That's all I had, which I also think was good that I was small because I learned how to fight, you know. but I was like, are you sure this includes me? I can see why you might want to bet on her, but are you sure you want to bet on me? Of course, I never said that, but that's kind of, in the back of my head, I'm like, you know, I'm not going to be that good. Quick one before you jump back in. You're listening for ways to help teams move faster, make sharper decisions, and turn scattered context into work they can use. ChatGPT for Business can help. Chat GPT for Business gives teams a shared workspace with admin controls, permissions, and access to work and codecs in Chat GPT.
33:00This means your business can move from question to answer and code to rollout quicker. Join over 10 million business and enterprise users worldwide already using Chat GPT for Work. Download the Chat GPT desktop app or contact sales to learn more. When traveling for events or festivals throughout the country, every dollar matters. We compare flights, prices, hotel rates, and restaurant options. So why wouldn't we compare rides? Personally, I always check lift before booking a ride. Prices can change throughout the day depending on traffic, weather, and what's happening in the city. If you're headed to a concert, out to dinner, or catching up with your friends on a Friday night, taking a few seconds to check lift could leave you with more money to enjoy the experience.
33:44Save money. Check lift. Ernest, what's up? Look, building wealth isn't just about making money. It's about knowing where your money is working for you. That's why we partnered with Empower. Empower is all about helping you invest well so you can go out and live a little. Their free Empower Personal Dashboard gives you a complete view of your financial life in one place. Track your net worth, monitor your budget, analyze your investments, set retirement goals, and more. You've worked hard for your money. Now make sure it's working hard for you. Download the Empower Personal Dashboard or visit Empower.com.
34:19not an empowered client paid or sponsored we talk a lot about ownership and one of the most important assets you can own is your digital real estate too many entrepreneurs rely on social media platforms they don't control your website should be the center of your business framer helps you build a professional website without all the friction it's more than a website builder it's a complete website platform your entire team can collaborate in real time make changes instantly and publish updates in minutes instead of days. Framer's AI agents work alongside your team to create content, refine pages, manage your CMS, and optimize your SEO all in one place.
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35:31Serena Williams:But you know what? When I went out there and I started playing, I just, I don't know. I just, I think those words kept coming back as you're going to be number one and I believed it. And the only way to be that is to go out there and be fearless and play fearless and do everything, you know, as hard as you can for as long as you can. And you definitely were number one.
35:57As you're saying it, I'm thinking to myself, because I have two kids, and I'm telling them both they're going to be number one. Only one of them is going to be number one. Not necessarily. They could both be. Venus was number one, too. This is true. I'm going there. I'm going there. But put them in different sports. It's just too much stress. So, I want to talk, we obviously are a great example of brotherhood. But the bond between you and your sister is evident, right? Obviously, when you're competing against each other, you want to win, but you don't want the other to lose. That's in the professional setting.
36:34But you've also invested together, right? I remember when you had the investment in the Miami Dolphins. Talk about growing together as athletes, but also as businesswomen, because I think that gets overlooked. Yeah, that was really exciting. I love football. I always say I love American football, but it's so fun. So then this opportunity to invest at the Dolphins came up. I mean, I think that's like 18 years old now. Hold on, there's two Miami Dolphins fans right there. Hey, there's three. There's three. Three, yes. Three. Yes. Yes. There they go. We're in Atlanta, y 'all. Yeah, we got to count us because there's not many of us.
37:17But it was really cool because, you know, by then I've been living in Florida, South Florida, for so many years. And it was my new home. And, you know, it was a no-brainer. It was a no-brainer. And, man, was that a good investment because, I mean, now you look at the valuation of any football team. and we invested ages ago, like well over, I think we were looking at it the other day, I think it was like 17 years ago. It was before I started other investments, so it was a very long time ago. And it was just cool to say that we own a football team or we have ownership in a football team. And it was great and then we got to know the owners and that opened so many other doors for you, you get to know even more people.
38:04really VC and entrepreneurship is really all about connections. So you can't forget that. It's really about who you know, what you know, and who they can introduce you to, and vice versa.
38:14Serena Williams:You know, who you can introduce other people to, to open the door for them as well. So, and so just that investment was great, but on another aspect, it was also great to get to know other people and get to know and get our foot into other doors, other really big doors. Troy's wearing your sneakers right now What? Troy, he has your sneakers on Oh, let me put these up Ty, close up Ty, close up So I am a sneakerhead Those are dope I told you I put mine in storage You might know these sneakers Yes I can't believe you're wearing them Well, I did it for you
38:56So, I mean obviously this is a collaboration with with the great Virgil yes yes obviously fashion was a role that you played in talk about choosing partnerships in the world of business because your brand itself is a strong one and who you align with is important talk about how you're going about picking and choosing who you're going to align with um well I got lucky with Virgil like I just I've always was a fan of his and you know when we got a chance to work together I just jumped I was actually supposed to work with Versace and something happened and it didn't work out and then it was Virgil and I was like this is awesome was so much more I mean I love Versace but it was like this is so much more awesome um because it was Virgil you know and so it was just such an amazing opportunity to work with him.
39:51Serena Williams:And so anyway, that ended up just being really fortunate, being at the right place at the right time. But when I work in a line with someone, there has to be some authenticity for it for me. Like my whole life, I wanted to be with Nike. I mean, at the time, Jordan was with Nike. So every athlete wanted to be with Nike at the time. And so it was just like iconic. And I was one of those as well. And so for me, that was like end goal kind of thing. So for me, if I really, if I'm aligning with someone, even like a row, like it really has to be very authentic. Like, you know, do I use it? Is it something that I do?
40:29Serena Williams:Is it something that I believe in? Is it something that I, because if it isn't, I think, I think nowadays more than ever, the consumer can kind of read through people that aren't honest and they're just like, oh, they're just doing this for a paycheck, you know? And so I try not to do that. I try to do things that I really, truly use and passionate about and, you know, think about. Well, talk about specifically, that's why I asked that question about Nike specifically. Like, you know, you are one of the faces of Nike, especially when it comes to tennis. You have a long relationship with Nike. How has that relationship with Nike evolved?
41:05Like we see LeBron's relationship with Nike. We see Jordan's relationship with Nike. We've seen Kobe's relationship with Nike. I feel like every athlete has their own special relationship with Nike, Phil Knight. What's your relationship with Nike, Phil Knight?
41:19Serena Williams:Well, I think my relationship is a little different. Nike has grown a lot with me, and I feel like we've grown apart in the past, and then we grew together, and then we got lock and step, and now I have a building and all the things. He has a building in Nike, by the way. Not many people have that. not many but it was really important for me at the time when we weren't really necessarily meshing and growing together that they one of the big things for me was I said I don't I don't see myself every time I have a meeting I don't see me I see so many people that don't look like me and it's exhausting and like I don't see enough women and it was it was a really at the time it was with Mark Parker and it was a very interesting conversation and kudos to Mark because he literally changed what Nike is internally.
42:14Serena Williams:If you guys were to see Nike internally, it is so different than what it used to be and all because of those conversations that I continued to push.
42:27And now it's just like, I'm like, okay, we need a little diversity still too,
42:33Serena Williams:but it's a good thing I love it I love it so much because all the bosses are women are black women and I absolutely love that and uh and it feels good to know that I had a first hand in in that and I and it feels good to know that a company that big could listen to an athlete like me and say okay we we hear you and we're actually going to do something about this and we also notice that there can be a lot of change made. And so my relationship with Nike is interesting. I'm always like, I'll text the CEO like, I'm at Disney and I see Under Armour here. Why is Nike not here? And he's like, on it.
43:23And so I'm always trying to build the business because that's what I do. And I don't even realize it, aha moment. I'm building businesses daily with investing and talking to founders.
43:35Serena Williams:And so I guess without even thinking about it, I'm just, I'm doing the same with Nike on a different level because they're Nike, but still every little bit counts. And, um, and I love that the CEO now, um, he also hears me kind of like Mark Parker did. And so they're so open to change. They're so open to like listening and making it a great place. And so, yeah, I think that my relationship with them has really, really evolved into something deeper than an athlete wearing Nike clothes. Let me just follow up on that because essentially what you're saying is like you advocated for more women, more black women to be in the office, right?
44:14That was bothering you. And they realized how valuable you were and they changed their system for that. were you ever a little apprehensive or even nervous to be like okay well I am who I am but this is a you know multi-billion dollar company maybe because a lot of times people say athletes maybe they don't they don't speak out enough or they don't want to ruin relationships or they don't want to what gave you that confidence to say I'm not I'm not comfortable with this I have influence and I have enough confidence in my influence to make changes? I'm not afraid of stuff like that. And there's so many things that I do that I don't talk about because I truly
44:55Serena Williams:believe when you, like you, I don't think I've ever even told that story or maybe very rare. But there's so many things that I do that I'm not looking to be pat on the back, pat, patted on my back for. Like I do it because it's the right thing to do and it's going to help other people. So outside of this room, I mean, that story might, who knows if people get to know that story much more, but. InvestFest exclusive, that's what we call that one. But I wasn't afraid because I was exhausted. I literally was exhausted of seeing another designer or another person that just didn't understand what I wanted.
45:37Serena Williams:And it's so funny now, I don't even have to say much. They get it. You know, if you're designing for someone that looks like me, you need someone maybe that looks like you too to get it, to get my body, you know, to get what I would like. Like, you know, it's unspoken. You just get it, you know? And so it's a difference. And so to be the best athlete at the time, the best lady athlete or man. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Nah, nah, nah. This is not up with debate. You didn't hear it. I said or man. I heard what you said, and we might not debate that either. We said what we said, the greatest athlete.
46:22Serena Williams:The greatest athlete, and to not have representation, I was exhausted, and it was absolutely no fear. It was actually frustration. And I don't think I was this calm when I spoke to the CEO at all. But I think he heard the passion behind this has to change. And now, like I said, now when I was just at Nike HQ, it was so many people there in positions, top top top positions black women women just every just in top positions black men um that just didn't have that opportunity before and to see that was just good because also diversity is real like you get different results when you have you know when you have diversity at the table like everyone needs to be at the table it just can't be just one person it has to be like everybody because the world is not one person.
47:22Serena Williams:It's everybody. You really need everybody to see different views and different point of views. How would this person feel about that? How will that person feel about this? It just all comes together a little bit better when you can just you know just the hope everyone there. So yeah no I wasn't afraid and and like I said that he was very amazing because a lot of people he didn't have to listen to me so I had to give him just as much credit, if not more, because he's the one that actually put it into play. And that's what I always say. We need supporters, too. We can say what we want to say, but we need people to support and to push the message through.
48:06I'm glad you said the word support, because it makes me think of where the biggest support comes from, and that's usually home, and that's usually family. Obviously, your partner is extremely successful in the world of business, you're extremely in the world of business, do those conversations ever collide at home or do we keep that separate, right? Do we bring business? Do we pitch ideas? Do we run ideas by each other? Because obviously publicly traded company, extremely successful fund, how do those conversations go? We really do not talk about business at all. Our kids are really young and pretty wild, actually, with all due respect.
48:49One especially is super wild. Quick one before you jump back in. You're listening for ways to help teams move faster, make sharper decisions and turn scattered context into work they can use. ChatGPT for Business can help. ChatGPT for Business gives teams a shared workspace with admin controls, permissions and access to work and codecs in ChatGPT. This means your business can move from question to answer and code to rollout quicker. Join over 10 million business and enterprise users worldwide already using ChatGPT for work. Download the ChatGPT desktop app or contact sales to learn more. When traveling for events or festivals throughout the country, every dollar matters.
49:31We compare flights, prices, hotel rates, and restaurant options. So why wouldn't we compare rides? Personally, I always check Lyft before booking a ride. Prices can change throughout the day depending on traffic, weather, and what's happening in the city. If you're headed to a concert, out to dinner, or catching up with your friends on a Friday night, taking a few seconds to check lift could leave you with more money to enjoy the experience. Save money. Check lift. Earners, what's up? Look, building wealth isn't just about making money. It's about knowing where your money is working for you. That's why we partnered with Empower.
50:05Empower is all about helping you invest well so you can go out and live a little. Their free Empower Personal Dashboard gives you a complete view of your financial life in one place. Track your net worth, monitor your budget, analyze your investments, set retirement goals, and more. You've worked hard for your money. Now make sure it's working hard for you. Download the Empower Personal Dashboard or visit Empower.com. Not an Empower client paid or sponsored. We talk a lot about ownership, and one of the most important assets you can own is your digital real estate. Too many entrepreneurs rely on social media platforms they don't control.
50:43Your website should be the center of your business. Framer helps you build a professional website without all the friction. It's more than a website builder. It's a complete website platform. Your entire team can collaborate in real time, make changes instantly, and publish updates in minutes instead of days. Framer's AI agents work alongside your team to create content, refine pages, manage your CMS, and optimize your SEO all in one place. And because everything stays editable on the same canvas, you maintain complete control over what goes live. That's why everyone from startups to Fortune 500 companies and brands like Perplexity and Miro trust Framer to power their websites.
51:24Learn how you can get more out of your site from Framer specialists or get started building for free at Framer.com slash earn for 30 % off a Framer Pro annual plan. That's Framer.com slash earn for 30 % off. Framer.com slash earn. Rules and restrictions may apply. So when we're at home, we just basically chase it and plan with them. And they take a lot of our time. And I think we work so much, respectively, just we just kind of want to come home and unwind and relax.
51:55Serena Williams:Now, if there is something to be said, I often ask, because he's also a fantastic designer. He's great at coding, just so many things. So I'll ask questions. If there's any questions, I'm usually asking them, because he has a lot more experience in that stuff. And I always feel like I want to learn. And that's why I said the other day, I was like, I just need to get smarter, because I've got to keep up with him. He's always learning something new. He was teaching himself coding a couple of months ago, a new version of it from AI. And he was writing a program for Olympia so she can do it. When she does work, she puts it in the program, it logs it, and he sees it.
52:39And I was like, okay, I got to get smarter because none of that is making sense to me. I'm going to fall back. So it's really kind of fun that way. What industries and technologies do you think will create the biggest opportunities over the next 10 years or so? I don't know.
52:56Serena Williams:I feel like outside of AI, I wonder. I think events, I think, because with the growth of AI, I feel like there's not going to be a lot of real things. So live events, whether that's concerts and finding a way to monetize that, whether that's through ticket selling or just having more live events, maybe even at smaller arenas, having more intimate live events. I think that's why sport is doing so well now. So I think sport will continue to grow. I think women's sports will continue to grow. There's a new volleyball league. There's a new flag football league that's going to come for women as well.
53:38So I feel like those things are going to continue to grow.
53:45Serena Williams:I think there's going to be some deep tech, deep space tech that's going to continue to grow in that industry. And obviously, you know, AI is going to grow every direction. So I think those are some of the things. I wonder, as you look at the landscape of the path that you've trailblazed, and you're looking at the young, especially black women that are playing tennis now, obviously when you see them and you've competed against a lot of them, I know Coco Golf talks about how much he idolizes you. When you watch them in the world of professionalism in terms of just playing tennis, how do you feel as they get into the world of business, right?
54:26We see sponsorships, we see deals. Are you giving them a call saying, hey, this is something you should do. Hey, shy away from that. Like, what role do you see or do you see a role for yourself in the mentorship of the next generation of the great athletes? Well, when it comes to other people getting their coin, I mind my own business. I stay in my lane.
54:49Serena Williams:But, no, I think it's great. You know, anytime I see someone, you know, winning off the court, I think it's, you know, it's great. I believe that there's space for everyone. You know, this world is so big. And there's so many things, so much money in these sponsors for these players to go around. Like, I feel like it's more of an encouragement, you know, and I think it's great that they can go out there and get what they can while they can. Because the life of an athlete is usually short, you know. I don't know how short anymore, but usually it used to be short. So I always feel good about it.
55:31I feel like go kudos and I usually try to like the ads and you know I always try to like the photos and I see how the ads go and you know it's pretty cool. I'm all about it. What advantage do you think you have over somebody that may have came up through the traditional venture route like somebody from Silicon Valley? You coming from being an athlete and now being a VC what what advantage point do you have that they may not have?
55:57Serena Williams:I think, you know, I think in venture you see a ton of failure. Well, in early stage venture, because I'm in the early stage space. We see a lot of companies that don't make it. I think the advantage that I have is the resilience of showing up and understanding that, you know, you don't do well every day, but you continue to show up every day and you've got to stay positive. and so I think it's you know it's something that I've I've done as an athlete you know and also just the value of hard work I think for me there's nothing too good for me to do I literally will do everything when it comes to hard work and I think that's because of my background and you know growing up as an athlete growing up in Compton like all of this all of the things I think that it's really become a competitive advantage.
56:49I want to add, you've had a tremendous career. Thinking back, obviously it comes with ebbs and flows, right? You have pits and falls. Is there a mistake that you look back now and say, I'd be willing to make that again because of all of the lessons that you learned from going through it? Well, in sport or in life? I'm interested in both. huh or both um in life is there a mistake that yeah definitely that mistake again
57:28what was the question is there something that you'd be willing to go through again because of the lessons you learned from going through it oh um you had a flashback just now you had a flashback just now we're gonna talk about that backstage because now I need to know. I would do that lesson again. And then tennis. Yeah, you know, I had lost a tough match once and it sucked. But if it meant, but I won so much after that, that I would probably lose that match again, even though it was really hard. It was a super hard loss for me, but I learned a lot from it. So you're back, you're back. But But there are some things I wouldn't do again, too.
58:15That list is way longer, though. You're back, right? And now the question... Hold on. You said she's back, and now one person's clapping? The great one is back! Oh, just for fun. No, no, no. Every now and then. We got to help people understand that this is not an everyday thing. No, it's not an everyday thing. You never know where I'm going to pop up. That is also true. Yes. You're back. But, you know, it's always, it's always, the comeback's always hard. So, you know, you got new tennis players that grew up on you. Now they're your competition and now they're gutting for you, right? So what's the thought process?
58:56You don't have anything to prove, obviously. You're the greatest tennis player of all time. You won 23 Grand Slams. You know you've done it.
59:08what is the thought process in you coming back like why and what is your goal is your goal to win a grand slam win wimbledon like is that your goal no god no um honestly i just wanted my daughters to see me in a different light you know especially my older daughter she was so young when I transitioned or retired or whatever, evolved. Evolved. I'm coming undone. I come undone after an hour. I don't know what I'm going to say next.
59:49So I really thought it would be nice for her to see me. I don't know. I feel like she doesn't appreciate what mommy has done. in a way or doesn't understand it. So I'm like, okay, you need to understand this. But also, no, no, no. I think it's really cool for her to kind of just see
1:00:09Serena Williams:what hard work looks like because she sees me out there every day. Not for long because I have different boundaries and I'm balancing it out. But, you know, I want her to understand what is possible. And my other daughter, she's... That's the wild one. Glad I had a night off. she's fun but uh you know we uh i think i think she could see a little bit maybe she's fun
1:00:42you know when we've had the privilege of watching you grow obviously in the world of tennis and the world of business you've done it all to many it feels like you are successful i wonder how you measure success at this stage of your life what does that look like like what are the the metrics to say, you know what, that was successful? I think if we're talking about tennis, I think it would be, which I never thought I would say in my life, winning a few matches, not a tournament. Yikes. Oh, boy. And also because, like, I don't have time. Like, I need to go.
1:01:21Serena Williams:Also, because... Also, I think measuring some success for me is also just how I am throughout the day because I'm a full-time mom and I love being a mom and I'm always with my kids every single day. I even do my work around the kids. So for me, I've lived my life and now I live for them, to be honest. And so I measure my success on, you know, did I cook dinner? How did I do? Did they like it? You know, if the kid isn't in school, like, you know, did it go well? how many meltdowns did my baby had the little baby have um and and was i calm in those meltdowns because i wanted to be able to melt down okay and me to be calm and not go crazy um you know it's hard you know to show up every day for a kid and and it also makes me appreciate my parents so much because they were like they i don't know how they did it they were so amazing um especially my dad going to play, going to tennis every day with us.
1:02:28Serena Williams:I tell you, I cannot do that with my daughters. I'm like, you on your own. I need a day off or let's do something else. So I just, I measure my success on just how I am as a parent now. And, you know, I read all the books, like, you know, what to say to a three-year-old or a two-year-old and, you know, how to communicate. And so did I do a good job with that? And yeah, that's kind of how it is for me now. Amen. What's some last words that you can give to a group of people that's trying to get to the next level? Like I said, there's various next levels, but you have somebody that have actually achieved the highest level, right?
1:03:06So what would be your parting words in a sea of entrepreneurs, investors, and people that's really trying to better their situation? What do you want to leave the crowd with? Well, first of all, I haven't seen the highest level. I think there's always room for improvement. And I'll leave you with that. Never get too complacent. Never think you're at the highest level. There's always someone doing better or working harder to beat you or to do better or, you know, more successful. And for me, that's okay. I'm not trying to be the biggest baddest in the house. I'm just trying to be the best, my personal best.
1:03:40and I think everyone has to realize that your personal best might not be you know going to the
1:03:47Serena Williams:moon or whatever you know but each each goal counts you're like for me my goal is just to be a great mom and that that's all that's my biggest goal and that's a huge goal and so I think that just setting whatever goal you is don't be don't be ashamed that whatever that goal is it's fine Just stick to it. Well, Serena, thank you for taking time out of your schedule. Thank you. Make some noise for Serena Williams. Stand on your feet for the greatest of all time. Thank you so much. Before you sign off, you tuned in for ways to help teams move faster, make sharper decisions, and turn scattered context into work they can use.
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From the publisher
In this exclusive Earn Your Leisure conversation, Serena Williams breaks down the mindset, discipline, and habits that helped her become one of the greatest athletes of all time—and how she’s applying those same principles to business, investing, and life after tennis.
Serena opens up about the influence of her father, building leadership skills through tennis, missing the opportunity to invest in Uber, and why the lack of venture funding for Black women inspired her to enter the VC world. She also shares her formula for identifying great companies, the importance of building the right team, and what makes her investment firm different.
We also discuss her historic NFL ownership with Venus Williams, collaborating with Virgil Abloh, pushing for greater representation at Nike, balancing marriage and business, the future of live events in the age of AI, and how her definition of success continues to evolve. Plus, Serena makes a major announcement about her return to professional tennis.
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