Run Your Own Race: Olympian Allyson Felix Redefines Winning

0:00Mick:Ladies and gentlemen, this episode is just a conversation with Allyson Felix, the most dominant track and field star ever. That's not debatable. That is fact. But in this conversation, we go in on her mindset, the champion mindset, preparation, talk about motherhood. We talk about entrepreneurship, some things that Allyson did that no one's ever done. Like she designed and created her own shoe brand and won medals in her own shoe. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the greatest of all time, Allison Thielen. You're listening to Mick Unplugged, hosted by the one and only Mick Hunt. This is where purpose meets power and stories spark transformation.

0:43Mick:Mick takes you beyond the motivation and into meaning, helping you discover your because and becoming unstoppable. I'm Rudy Rush, and trust me, you're in the right place. Let's get unplugged. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another exciting episode of Mick Unplugged. And a lot of times we throw around the word goat, the term goat. But today we are talking to truly the goat. And I'm talking about someone who has been one of the most refined people, not just on the track field, but also in life. She's an entrepreneur building a legacy of empowerment, a mother inspiring millions and a trailblazer whose resilience is unmatched.

1:26Please join me in welcoming the exceptional, pioneering, the legendary, Allison Felix.

1:32Mick:Allison, how are you doing today, dear? I'm good. Thank you for that intro. So kind. No, thank you for being here. I was just telling you offline, like I'm trembling a little bit. People might hear it in my voice. Allison, what you've done, again, we'll talk about track accolades, but what you have done in life, not as just inspiring, it's moving. And I think for me, that's the term that I like to use because we see things from people, right? They accomplish a lot and they do some things, but you're actually moving people. You're inspiring people. And I just want to give you your flowers for that.

2:04I greatly appreciate that. And it's very encouraging to hear.

2:08Mick:Absolutely. So, Allison, I love asking my guests about their because, that thing that's deeper than your why. Right. Like if I were to ask you your why, you're going to tell me. But when I ask but why, that sentence usually starts with, well, because. and I care about what you say after because. And so if I were to say, Alison Felix, it's 2026. You've accomplished a lot. A lot of people who've accomplished and done the things that you do go on the celebration tour for the rest of their life, but you've done so much more. What is your because? Well, I guess I would really go back to faith. I feel like I've truly been blessed and I feel like, you know, just gifts from God.

2:48And I believe just in the way that I was raised to continue to try to push for more, you know. My parents are people of service, and so that's always just really been the core of who I am. And so when I think about, you know, the future and what I want to do, it always really centers around impact. And I think that, for me, really comes back to my faith.

3:11Mick:I love it. And that's something, you know, as a man of faith, you know, my mother is a minister, And I was the kid that grew up and went to church every day of the week, like literally every day of the week. And one of the things that I'm not going to say I'm proud of me because it's just who I'm naturally is I don't hide from my faith. And that's something that I saw in you, too. Right. You know, again, you see athletes all the time, especially in track and field. They close their eyes or have their moment right before the event. And a lot of times it's getting centered. But with you, it was always that real connection.

3:48Mick:How did your faith, your upbringing also translate into not hiding it? Because, I mean, you know, a lot of people do or they will, maybe not purposely, but they don't want to be put into a box. And you never cared about that box. Yeah, I mean, for me, I've always understood that, you know, the gifts that I have are from God. And so I never really saw it as myself. And so there wasn't really an option to hide it because I felt like it was it. It explained, you know, why I was there and also to use the moment for more. You know, I truly believe that I was there for more than, you know, to run fast or, you know, I really tried to live out my values as well and hope that that was seen.

4:31And that was, you know, a real picture of someone, you know, striving for something. So, yeah, to me, it's a part of who I am. Yeah.

4:39Mick:And you talk about those gifts from God. Allison, let's talk about that for a second. I know everybody who's watching this, listening, you know this. The most decorated, the most decorated of all times is Allison. When did you know that you were destined to do that piece first? Like, were you like five years old and like racing people and was like, oh, I'm kind of faster than everybody out here? Or it was at high school. Like, when was that moment that you realized that this is truly a gift? Yeah, I mean, absolutely not. It was not from a young age. I started running because I was at a new school and was just trying to make friends.

5:15And, you know, sports is that great way, you know, to do that. And so I would say it was somewhere in the middle of high school where I really understood, okay, like there is potential here. And at first I was just thinking of it, you know, trying to get a scholarship. And then I was like, oh, wow, you know, this could actually be a career. So it was much later, you know, but I was always athletic and I was always very competitive. So that much I knew at an early age. And I had an older brother who just showed me no mercy. So I was always trying to, you know, compete with him and with my dad. My whole family is competitive.

5:53So that part I knew early on.

5:55Mick:you go. There you go. You talk about the competitiveness. One of the reasons that I love track and field, you know, whether it's the world, it's the Olympics, whatever it is, and you talk about sprinting, it's really you versus you, right? Like there's folks out there, but you can't control how fast someone else runs, right? Like you can have your best and it still not be the best, but there were not many times that Allison Felix's best was also not the best. Talk to us about that mental preparation of the race and what that truly means, because I think a lot of folks think, yeah, you're training, you're doing sprinting, you're doing stretching, you're doing all that.

6:33Mick:But I would garner that probably 90 percent, if not more, is really what's up here. Yeah, I mean, I love the process of getting better, setting a big goal and figuring out how do I reach it and, you know, starting small and then, you know, week after week, building month after month. And I just, I love that, that progress. But it is very much mental. You know, when you go out and you have to perform and you have this very specific time where you have to be on and you know that, you know, you're not going to get another opportunity for four more years. You know that so much weighs on it that can start to mess with you and you have to figure out, you know, how can I execute and how can I be at my top form and have that happen mentally and physically all at the same time.

7:23And so it was definitely, you know, some trial and error and getting things right and figuring out what worked. And but yeah, it's I mean, I really just thrived off of, you know, that sense of competition in the sense of the meeting the moment, you know, where it was. Yeah.

7:39Mick:You know, Allison, the thing I admired the most about you was that in track and field, you always did it your way. Right. You were always authentic to who you were. all the time when folks were chasing big endorsement contracts, when folks were chasing the proverbial spotlight, like you were always going to do it your way. Was that a core value that you had growing up? Was that something your parents, your brother instilled in you as well? We talk a lot about trends on this show and AI is the one that just won't quit. But here's the thing. Talking about AI doesn't make you more productive. Actually putting it to work does.

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9:05Mick:It just runs in the background while we focus on leading. Join the 3.4 million companies already automating with Zapier and transform how you work with Zapier and AI. Get started for free by visiting zapier.com slash mick. That's Z-A-P-I-E-R dot com slash M-I-C-K. Yeah, I would say so. I think, you know, I think I struggled at different times of, you know, trying to figure out how to be myself and be successful. Because I think it, you know, it is hard sometimes where you feel like you have to fit into this certain mold or you have to try to surpass, make it to mainstream. And what does that mean?

9:50But I did always have to come back to, you know, well, who am I? And that is more important than any of these other things. And I truly believe also like what's for me will be for me. And I think that helped, you know, it really helped a lot of those times where you felt that pull and, you know, come back to say, you know, I need to be unapologetically myself. You know, maybe that's not going to be as popular or go as far. But at the end of the day, you know, I have to stand by that.

10:19Mick:Amazing. Amazing. Another thing that I think you were groundbreaking on was, you know, a lot of times when athletes retire or stop the sport, they then become entrepreneurs or whatever it is that they're going to do and become. You were doing that while you were still winning races. And I will never forget you winning a medal in your own doggone shoes, right? Like you're winning in your own brand. And it was the first time that that ever happened. And I didn't realize that. Like, I would have just assumed that, not that it was the norm, but that that would have been done before. Talk to us about, Seish, why you decided at the time that you did that you were going to do that.

11:00Mick:And then I'm going to have some follow-up questions that, like, what was it like to win in your own brand and in your own suit? Yeah, I mean, it was very organic. You know, it was not the plan from the very start. I mean, I knew that I felt I had an entrepreneurial spirit from a child. You know, me and my brother growing up, we would always like open these little stores in our house and we would collect items around the house and try to sell it back to, you know, our parents and stuff. So business seemed like it was in our future. But, you know, I didn't know how that would show up. And it wasn't it was only for the events that unfolded, the fight around maternal protections, the fight with Nike leaving and then figuring, you know, I knew I still wanted to compete.

11:43And I could not find another sponsor, another footwear sponsor. And I had been so heavily Nike branded that there was not opportunity out there for me. And so that's really what changed everything. And, you know, my brother Wes and I had been longtime business partners at that point. And it was really in conversation with him that he was like, I think we should do this ourselves. And for me, he's in kind of our dynamic. He's much more of like the visionary and I'm very practical. And I'm like, well, that seems very big. Seems, you know, how do you create a shoe company? But the more I sat with it, I really understood that he was saying, you know, we could be the change makers.

12:25And instead of begging these companies to make a difference, you know, we can build this the way that we believe it should exist. And so went down that path and learned that shoes were not being made for women. They were being made off of a lass, which is a mold of a foot. And it was the mold of a man's foot used to make women's sneakers. And when we learned that, we were like, this is what we should be doing. And so, you know, we were off to off to the races and, you know, created Seish. And yes, we we launched at Olympic trials, you know, for my quest for my last games. And it really just it felt so much bigger than just the competition as well, because, yes, I was competing.

13:05But I had been through so much and starting this company, it was just it was a really special time and very meaningful.

13:12Mick:Yeah, I remember telling my friends once I realized what had just happened, I went back and rewatched a couple of your races. And to me, it looked like it was a big exhale. And your smile was so different. It was like the jubilation that you were showing. And I was like, that's because she just did something not just for herself, but for others. and she proved not necessarily people wrong, but she proved herself right. And I think I stood up and like applauded you just once I understood the story and going back and rewatching, like take us through that moment or those moments, you know, your last run, in your shoes, you winning.

13:53Mick:Am I right that kind of that was the emotion of just like you're letting out more things and just celebrating a win, a track of it? Absolutely right. for me had always just been about, you know, this quest for a gold medal, you know, that was success. And so for the first time I was showing up after having gone through a really, really difficult just time in my life, you know, the Nike fight, having my daughter starting this company, it was felt like the weight of the world. And so to be able to show up and to say, it's not about, you no, this is not about just the metal. This is about representing women.

14:31This is about representing women of color. This is about doing this for my daughter. It just gave me such a greater sense of purpose. And so to cross the line and to look down and see these beautiful shoes that my brand created, I felt just incredibly proud. How cool is it to, yes, you created a brand,

14:53Mick:but to create a shoe that is made for you, right? Because even when you're endorsed by other companies and they're making your shoe, there's still some components that you don't control. What was that like? That's something I've never experienced, probably never will experience, to have a shoe that is truly designed for you. Well, it was amazing also just to go through that process because you're right. You know, I had been sponsored, you know, by Nike, by Adidas before, and we had created shoes that, you know, were bespoke for me. But when I really learned the process, you know, I saw how much deeper that could go.

15:32And just this ins and outs of shoemaking and, you know, sitting under the individuals that worked on my shoe and being a part of that process and truly being seated at the table with them was just an amazing learning experience. And then also an understanding of you can do things differently. You know, just because things have looked one way for a long time, it doesn't mean that that's the only way forward. And so I felt like it was a lesson in a lot of different things.

16:00Mick:Yeah, that's amazing. That's amazing. For the person that's listening or watching to this or watching this, let's talk about Seish a little bit. Because there's a mom on here that's watching this listening, probably my mom, my sister. It's like, hey, my athletic days are behind me. Do I still need Seiche? And obviously the answer is yes, but I'd love for you to just talk about Seiche, some of the designs, the products, and what's coming out next. Yeah, absolutely. Well, we really just believe that women deserve better and we make running shoes, but they are also great for walking and they're really to meet women where they are.

16:35It's not focused on the elite athlete. It's more focused on the everyday woman who is, you know, moving through life, who might be, you know, picking kids up from school, who might be in the boardroom, who might be going to meetings or traveling. And so our shoes are to support all of those things. And if you, you know, if you are running, you know, obviously they will support you to the highest level as well. But the idea is to see all women. And so our shoes really reflect that. And we have, you know, the Felix Runner, which is a more structured shoe. We have the Evelyn Runner, which is a more free-flowing shoe and I'm excited for some plans to even broaden that in the future as well and to bring some new versions out.

17:18Mick:So what does Mick have to do to get the first ever guy men say shoe but just for me though? You don't have to sell it to anybody. I just want to buy my own mold. What do I have to do, Alice? We love our male allies. They are, you know, we love their backbone phone for us and they support, but I don't know if we have your size, so we might have to work on that. Come on now. I'll let that one go. I'll give up my dream. Fine. Real talk. I'm always on the move, always jumping on some airport Wi-Fi or hotel network without thinking twice. Then it hit me how exposed my passwords and banking information really were.

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18:40Mick:You know, you talked about motherhood earlier, and I know that that is something that you are extremely proud of. Talk to us about Allison's journey into motherhood. Yeah, I mean, I always knew that I wanted to be a mother, you know, something I come from a long line of very strong women. And so I had examples of just incredible mothers in my life, my mom, my grandmas. And so I knew it was something I wanted for me. But, you know, when I was thinking of it in my sport, it was very scary because women weren't being supported, you know, through starting a family. And generally what would happen is they would go to start a family, their contracts would be paused or they couldn't secure new contracts.

19:23And I really just saw a struggle for so many women. And so I felt like I had to kind of accomplish everything and then explore, you know, that part of life. And I did. I waited until I had gone to four Olympic Games, six gold medals, and that's when I pursued a family. And then I was also met with the reality that it still was extremely hard and had a big fight ahead of me, but it was something that I knew that I wanted for my life. And I also knew that I had a career that I loved as well and that that was very important to me.

20:03Mick:Amazing. Amazing. You know, we talk about, or you actually use the word impact, and that's something that I'm so passionate about. What are some of the things that Allison Felix is doing in different communities to help make sure that impact is at the forefront of everything that you do? When I think about, you know, new projects or, you know, work that I do now, I really judge it off impact. Like, does this matter? Is this going to move the needle? Is this going to help people? And one of the things that I'm really excited about doing now is just work around maternal health. You know, I've had my own experience with my daughter and a traumatic birth experience and I had severe preeclampsia.

20:45And so I've been able to do work in this space and it's been incredible and I've learned so much. And Melinda French granted me$20 million to be able to come alongside organizations, fund them, support them, everything from grassroots to research and policy. And so it's something that brings me a lot of joy to know that, you know, we've got to do better for Black women. And so, yeah, that's one thing that really excites me.

21:16Mick:Amazing. You have, I don't want to say a ton of partnerships, but you're very invested in a lot of things. What are some partnerships that you have that most people don't know about and that you're really proud of? That's a great question. Let's see, the partnerships right now, you know, that I'm working with, I work with Omega and I work with Delta. I recently did a partnership with Theraflu, which was really interesting around paid sick leave. And they are doing a million dollars in micro grants for individuals who don't get sick leave. So I really look for initiatives like that, that, you know, there's some action taking place and some meaning, meaning behind it and find ways to do work that, you know, affects communities.

21:59It's just close to my heart.