1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: What you learn from your losses is always so much 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: greater than what you learn from your victories. The confidence 3 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:08,720 Speaker 1: that it instills in you just by knowing you can 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 1: get through something. Whether it turns out good or bad 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: or indifferent, you can get through it. You have a 6 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: bad day, you got to bounce right back because the 7 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: next day, in the next competition is right around the corner. 8 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 2: It's an awesome day to have a good day. 9 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 3: Emily A body here checking in with episode ninety three 10 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 3: of Hurdle, a wellness focused podcast where I sit down 11 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 3: with inspiring individuals to talk about everything from their big 12 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 3: wins to how they've gotten through some of life's toughest moments. 13 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 3: On the show, you can expect vulnerability, motivation, and candid 14 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 3: discussions with everyone from top athletes to aspiring entrepreneurs on 15 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 3: what it really takes to follow your passions. My mission 16 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 3: is simple to inspire you to be your best self, 17 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 3: move with intention, and have some fun. 18 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:11,559 Speaker 2: Along the way. Y'all. 19 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 3: I am amped right now? 20 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 2: Okay, total understatement. Hurdle is featured in the Sunday New 21 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 2: York Times. What is that sentence? I don't even know 22 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 2: I am just I'm on cloud nine. 23 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 3: And I'm sitting here reflecting on man the last two 24 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 3: years and the ninety two episodes that have come before 25 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 3: now and all of the hurdle moments, the interactions, meeting 26 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 3: so many of you, your support, and I'm just feeling 27 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 3: so grateful. With that said, if you are listening right 28 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 3: now and you are new to the show, thank you, welcome. 29 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 2: I'm so happy to have you. 30 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 3: I would love more than anything if you could subscribe, 31 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,559 Speaker 3: keep up with me on the regular, and of course 32 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 3: if you like what you're listening, to rate and review 33 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 3: the podcast on itea Tunes. Today, I'm going to be 34 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 3: bringing you my conversation with Wendy Yang. She is the 35 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 3: president of Hoka on O Teva and Sanook all part 36 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 3: of the Deckers group. Before I get into it, a 37 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 3: quick shout out to my sponsor, Athletic Greens with the 38 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 3: antioxidant equivalent of twelve servings of fruits and vegetables. No 39 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:23,839 Speaker 3: matter what is going on in my life, whether I'm 40 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 3: stressed or maybe haven't been eating the best I feel 41 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 3: like by starting my day off with the Greens powder, 42 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 3: I am taking a step in the right direction. 43 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 2: By shaking it up. First thing. 44 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 3: Not only am I getting those good for me anti accidents, 45 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 3: but I'm also getting a slew of other greatness. I'm 46 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 3: talking prebiotics, probiotics, adaptagens, superfoods. I used to be the 47 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 3: kind of person that was hooked on gummy vitamins guilty, 48 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 3: But now I've stopped leaning into about three to four 49 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 3: different pill bottles in the morning just in favor of this. 50 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 2: One sweet sip. 51 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 3: They are offering her to listeners and awesome deal. It's 52 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 3: twenty travel packs a seventy nine dollar value, absolutely free 53 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,399 Speaker 3: with your first purchase. Just head on over to Athleticgreens 54 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 3: dot com slash hurtle again, that is Athleticgreens dot com 55 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 3: slash hurtle to grab yours today, no code necessary. All right, now, 56 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 3: let's talk about Wendy. Wendy grew up in a super 57 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 3: active family, the daughter of Major League Baseball pitcher wilver Wood, 58 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 3: most known for his career with the Chicago White Sox. 59 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:34,239 Speaker 2: Wendy had a love for sport, just like her father. 60 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 3: She played tennis at Rice University and then went on 61 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 3: to play in the professional tour until nineteen eighty eight. 62 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 2: Today we talk. 63 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 3: About what it was like traveling the globe playing tennis, 64 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 3: and what life was like after she put down the racket, 65 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 3: leaning into an extensive career in. 66 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 2: The athletic apparel and footwear industry. 67 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:03,119 Speaker 3: She's got so much knowledge, worked literally almost everywhere, from Reebok, 68 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 3: the New Balance to Timberland and Tommy Hilfiger. We talk 69 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 3: about what it's like to be one of the few 70 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 3: women in senior management and how she landed such amazing 71 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 3: and interesting jobs. 72 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 2: At so many of these awesome brands. 73 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 3: Of course, we get into what exactly is happening with Hoko. 74 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 3: We talk about those super cushiony sneakers, what the deal 75 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 3: is with those, why they're created like that, and how 76 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 3: the company has grown to such a major player in 77 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,359 Speaker 3: the running space. As always hurdlers, if you have a 78 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,359 Speaker 3: hurdle moment of your own to share, or you just 79 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:38,679 Speaker 3: want to say hi, you can reach me over email. 80 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 3: It's Emily at hurdle dot us, and also connect with 81 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 3: the pod on Instagram and Twitter. It's at Hurdle Podcasts 82 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 3: at Emily Abadi. I hope this good vibe is feeling 83 00:04:48,880 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 3: less for a long time. With that, let's get to hurdling. 84 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 2: Today. I'm sitting down with Wendy Yang. 85 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 3: She is the president of Performance Lifestyle at Decker's brand 86 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 3: that includes Hoka, Teva and Sinook. 87 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: That's right, Hello, hi Emily. 88 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 2: How are you. 89 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: I'm good. 90 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 3: I feel like there are just two things we need 91 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 3: to establish on the record right off the bat okay 92 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 3: first and foremost, how do you say the Hoka brand name? 93 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,239 Speaker 1: Well, technically it's Hoka on one okay, but we're fine 94 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:29,720 Speaker 1: with just saying Hoka okay. 95 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 2: And another controversial one, Teva Teva. 96 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: Yes, it tends to be east of the Mississippi. People 97 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: say Tiva, and west they say Teva. And actually I'm 98 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: from the Boston area and before I moved here and 99 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: came in contact with UH with Deckers, I myself said Tiva, So. 100 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 2: I definitely grew up saying Tivas. 101 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: Right. 102 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for coming to hang out with 103 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 3: me today. We are in beautiful Santa Barbara, never been before. 104 00:05:58,160 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you're here. It is beautiful. 105 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 3: It is I feel like I was saying to my 106 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 3: girlfriend earlier that it seems like a little piece of 107 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 3: aspen but without the snow and a lot of palm 108 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 3: trees and. 109 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 1: Not a bad place to be in UH in January 110 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: when you're from the East Coast either, right. 111 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 3: It's true and you yourself grew up on the East Coast, 112 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 3: So why didn't you talk to me a little bit 113 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 3: about your journey and starting back over near Boston? 114 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: Okay? Yeah, born and raised and until five years ago, 115 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: really that that's where I lived my whole life. We 116 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: traveled a lot as when I was a kid, but 117 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: always you know, the Boston area, Lexington and Conquered in 118 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: specific though, that was home. You know, about five years 119 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: ago an opportunity presented itself, and so my family and I, 120 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 1: you know, decided why not. 121 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 3: Talk to me a little bit about what life was 122 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 3: like for you growing up in Boston. Were you an 123 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 3: active kid? 124 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 1: So, yeah, growing up in Boston, Yeah, I was a tomboy. 125 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: I was always kind of running around and love sports, 126 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: just loved to move. And my dad was a profe 127 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 1: sational baseball player, Wilbur Wood, And you know, we traveled 128 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 1: a fair amount. We would go to Florida in the 129 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: spring for spring training, to Sarasota, c s. To Key 130 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: and then we'd go to Chicago in the summer for 131 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: the for the baseball season, and and in between, you know, 132 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: we were we were you know, at home doing our thing, 133 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: but I was always you know, outside and tormenting my 134 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: brother and with my little sister too. And when I 135 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: was twelve years old, my dad actually suffered an injury. 136 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: Got and he got hit with a line drive and 137 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: the knee and it was kind of a big deal. 138 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 1: He was at the height of his career. And that 139 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: was the first summer that we weren't going to go 140 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: to Chicago. And my mother said, hey, you know, what 141 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: do you want to do? What do you guys want 142 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: to do this summer? And I had been hitting a 143 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: tennis ball with a badminton racket off the side of 144 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: our shingled house and just really thought that was I 145 00:07:57,680 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: don't know how that happened, but it's what I was doing, 146 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: and I was spending a lot of time doing it, 147 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: and I said, I'd really like to go to tennis camp. 148 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: So my mom said, okay, let's let's do that. Let's 149 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: make that happen for you. And so I went to 150 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: tennis camp and really never looked back. You know. It 151 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: was first kind of real formal organized sport that I 152 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: had done, and and I just loved it. 153 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 3: I can't imagine first of all, hitting at a shingled 154 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 3: house and all of the directions and how frustrating that 155 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 3: must have been with the ball coming back at you. 156 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: Yes, and then there's a big hill behind me. So 157 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: it was a yeah. I'm not sure what I saw 158 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: in it either, but I loved it. Maybe it was 159 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: a challenge and add a challenge. How do you like 160 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 1: tennis camp? You loved it. I loved it, you know, 161 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: I loved it. And I was really really lucky. You know, 162 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: this this small camp that my mom found for me. 163 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 1: They were they were super picky about, you know, about form. 164 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:56,079 Speaker 1: And I was a real athletic kid and kind of 165 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 1: run around and you know, do things came fairly easy 166 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:03,679 Speaker 1: to me, and but this camp was like they were 167 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 1: sticklers on getting the right form. It wasn't just about 168 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: getting the ball over the net. It was about hitting 169 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: the ball properly. And I think having that real solid 170 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 1: foundation of as a beginning was a real blessing in 171 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: the long run. 172 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 3: And so you started to fall in love with tennis? 173 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 3: And did you play tennis throughout high school? 174 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: I did, Yeah, I fell in love with tennis. I 175 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 1: started playing and playing and played my first tennis tournament 176 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 1: and was doing really well and sort of climbed up 177 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: in the rankings and played all through high school and 178 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 1: through New England tennis and then started playing national tournaments 179 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: and you know, then it was time, you know, to 180 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: go to college, and it was I had an opportunity 181 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:48,960 Speaker 1: to play on in college and leave New England and 182 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: play Division one tennis at quite a high level. And 183 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: what school. I went to Rice University in Houston, Texas. 184 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 2: A little bit of a climate change. 185 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: Then climate change and culture change. Talk to me about that. Yeah, 186 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: I feel very fortunate, you know, to have grown up 187 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: in New England. And I don't know it any other 188 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: way obviously, but you know, sort of the this work 189 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: ethic and grit and I'm not saying that's not everywhere, 190 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: but you know, I think New England is sort of 191 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: known for that, and maybe the cold weather people feel 192 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 1: they have to work harder or whatever. But going to 193 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 1: to Rice in Houston, Texas, it was a great experience 194 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: for me. It was you know, it was warm, you 195 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: could play tennis outside all the time. But it was 196 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: a culture shock because what I find in New England 197 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,479 Speaker 1: you have to prove yourself to people. They don't necessarily 198 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 1: give you the benefit of the doubt. You prove yourself 199 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: to people and then you're welcomed in in the South. 200 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 1: And this is a gross generalization, but it was my experience. 201 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: You know. I really found that people were very welcoming 202 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 1: right right out of the gate. They just warmly accepted you, 203 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:00,959 Speaker 1: you know, and then you know, so maybe you proved 204 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: yourself otherwise. So right out of the gate, people were like, oh, hey, Wendy, 205 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: you know you want to do this, come on with us, Yeah, 206 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: let's go do this. Yeah, let's you know. And I 207 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: was like, wait, who, what's happening here? They don't even 208 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: know me, you know, what do they want from me? 209 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: You know? And I quickly realized, oh, no, this is 210 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 1: just how it is, and that's a beautiful thing. 211 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:23,439 Speaker 2: So did you go on a tennis scholarship? 212 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 3: Then? 213 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 1: I did? 214 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:27,320 Speaker 3: Okay, And so how was balancing that at first with 215 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 3: academics and making time for tennis and handling the two? 216 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:32,599 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean by that time, you know, I was 217 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: kind of used to that. All through high school. I 218 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: was playing more and more and more, So it wasn't 219 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:40,960 Speaker 1: a huge adjustment for me. Really. I uh, I threw 220 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: myself into both. You know. I chose Rice because I 221 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 1: felt like I wouldn't be sacrificing academics and I wouldn't 222 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 1: be sacrificing athletics. I could really have the best of 223 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 1: the best of both worlds. And that's what I found 224 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 1: my experience to be, you know. And also, you know, 225 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: my parents were going through divorce, and I think in 226 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: a way, getting that far away from home sort of 227 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: enabled me to be free of everything that was happening, 228 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: because in my mind I felt like, oh, you know, 229 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: I guess there's nothing I can do about it anyway, 230 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: and you know, for a seventeen eighteen year old kid, 231 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: that was really liberating. 232 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 3: I think it's interesting also kind of coming to a 233 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 3: place with hard stuff like that where you understand that, hey, 234 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 3: there's nothing I can do about this, it's already happening, 235 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 3: and accepting that instead of just sitting there and blaming 236 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 3: yourself or internalizing how you feel, or to accept that 237 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 3: this is how it is now. 238 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 2: And all I can do is move forward with what 239 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 2: I have. 240 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:46,080 Speaker 1: Yes, And for whatever reason, having those many miles in 241 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: between was helpful to me. I think if I had gone, 242 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 1: you know, to school closer to home, I might have 243 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 1: felt sort of still tied and maybe like there was 244 00:12:56,559 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: something I should be doing. It was really freeing for 245 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: me in a lot of ways. And then you know, 246 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,840 Speaker 1: I just I threw myself in to tennis and to school, 247 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 1: but I really threw myself into tennis. 248 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 2: Do you have any like standout memories from your first 249 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 2: year playing collegiate tennis? 250 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 1: The biggest memories are being part of a team and 251 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 1: a really close team, and those women still remain some 252 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:25,200 Speaker 1: of my closest friends. And you know, developing those really deep, 253 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:29,319 Speaker 1: rich friendships as a freshman in college that now our 254 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 1: relationships that have stood the test of time. That's the 255 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: richest part of it all. Without a doubt, it has 256 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,439 Speaker 1: played such a role in making me who I am today. 257 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: It more than anything, has formed helped to form me 258 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 1: in so many ways. What you learn from your losses 259 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:48,839 Speaker 1: is always so much greater than what you learn from 260 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 1: your victories. The confidence that it instills in you just 261 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 1: by knowing you can get through something, whether it turns 262 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,559 Speaker 1: out good or bad or indifferent, you can get through it. 263 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 1: Even if things don't go your way, you get through it. 264 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:05,560 Speaker 1: And sports is all about resiliency. So you have a 265 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,079 Speaker 1: bad day, you got to bounce right back because there's 266 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: the next day in the next competition is right around 267 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: the corner, and realizing that, oh I can do that, 268 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 1: Oh I am resilient. Oh that doesn't define me. Wow. 269 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 1: To have learned that life lesson at a relatively young age, 270 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: which is what sports I think afford you, is just 271 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 1: it's just huge, you know. And also the ability to 272 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: dig deep the human spirit is so incredible, and I 273 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:34,800 Speaker 1: think through through training, and that's certainly something you know 274 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 1: as an endurance athlete, and through putting yourself on the 275 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: line competing toe to toe, you find that you can 276 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: dig deep and go to levels you didn't know you had. 277 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: And that's something that later in life, in whatever the 278 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: situation may be, you can tap into. 279 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 3: While you are playing collegiate tennis, how is the college experience? 280 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 3: Are you like going out and doing all that stuff? 281 00:14:57,760 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 3: Are you kind of cut off from that because you're 282 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 3: so focus on tennis or what's happening there? 283 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: You know, I was probably kind of nerdy, Yeah, a 284 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: big get big into tennis and took that very seriously, 285 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 1: and you know, and I really loved school too, and 286 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: I took that very seriously. So there wasn't a lot 287 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: of other time. But I had a lot of fun. 288 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: I just I was never like a big, a big partier. Yeah, 289 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: but I had a lot of fun. 290 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 3: And I mean you're also doing a fair amount of traveling. 291 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 3: I'm sure, yeah, yeah, yeah. 292 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, any any college athlete, Division one, 293 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 1: Division two, Division three, but but more and more. I mean, 294 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's a rigorous schedule, so the travel 295 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: and keeping up with school and. 296 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 2: But cool though, because when you were growing up, did 297 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 2: you have, aside from going to and from with your 298 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 2: father to follow him around and watch some baseball, did 299 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 2: you have the opportunity to do a lot of traveling. 300 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 1: My mom was always really good about exposing us to things, 301 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 1: and so it wasn't necessarily exotic travel. But you know, 302 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: this was back in the day. It was before free agency. 303 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: So you know, when my dad was at the peak 304 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 1: of his career and you know, arguably one of the best. 305 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: You could look it up. It's before free agency. So 306 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: in the off season he worked as a plumber for 307 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: my mother's dad. So I share that just to say 308 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: the travel we did would be like driving to Florida 309 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: for spring training and my mother, my mother would make 310 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: sure that we would stop along the way and check 311 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: out different places and see different things. And we'd go 312 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: to museums, we'd go to art exhibits, we'd go to plays, 313 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: we'd go to music stuff. So she made sure that 314 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: we always kind of made the most of wherever we 315 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: were and saw new things and experienced different stuff. 316 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 3: But a little bit different when you're literally traveling the 317 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 3: entire country for tenant. Yes, yes, absolutely, totally. Okay, So 318 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 3: then what are we studying in college? 319 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: I was a managerial studies major, which is like a 320 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 1: business major. 321 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 3: Okay, Yeah, And did you have any aspiration for what 322 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 3: you wanted to do when you got out of there? 323 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 2: Did you think that it would be professional tennis? No? 324 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: I didn't. I didn't didn't really become a realistic opportunity 325 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: until you know, like my junior and senior year. 326 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,919 Speaker 3: What happens junior and senior year that playing pro tennis 327 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:10,440 Speaker 3: seems like a viable option for you? 328 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: Again, I was really lucky. I a lot of and 329 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: I think this has changed over the years with nutrition 330 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:17,920 Speaker 1: and training, but you know a lot of young women 331 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 1: peak by twenty years old twenty years old, depending on 332 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 1: what the sport is, And again I think that is 333 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 1: changing now. But I kept improving, and in part, again, 334 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:31,239 Speaker 1: I think it was the environment I was in. I 335 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:34,879 Speaker 1: was playing number one for Rice and I was winning this. 336 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:37,400 Speaker 1: It was we were in the Southwest Conference back then, 337 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: so these are big, big schools. I won the Southwest Conference, 338 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: and you know, I was ranked pretty highly nationally, and 339 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 1: so it became a really realistic opportunity to at least 340 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:50,199 Speaker 1: give the women's circuit, you know, a chance. 341 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:52,719 Speaker 2: And how does that go for that? 342 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,400 Speaker 1: Well, you know, that was an amazing experience talk about 343 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: that kind of travel and getting to go kind of 344 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: around the world and explore all kinds of different cultures 345 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: and places. But it it doesn't go as well, to 346 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: be perfectly honest, I was on the circuit for almost 347 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: three years. I definitely lost a lot more matches than 348 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,240 Speaker 1: I won, But it was pretty awesome to have the 349 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:15,879 Speaker 1: opportunity to do that. 350 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 3: With all of those losses. What is it that kept 351 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 3: you going after it? That's like such an interesting first takeaway, 352 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 3: Like I ask you how did it go, and you're like, well, 353 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:26,479 Speaker 3: I lost a lot more than I won, but you 354 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,119 Speaker 3: still seem to have such a positive reflection of the 355 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 3: time period. 356 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I think that that's sort of the 357 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 1: benefit of time too, right, you always look back and 358 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:38,879 Speaker 1: you remember the highlights or the good things more than 359 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 1: you do the bad things. Fortunately, I think that's a 360 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 1: survival then, you know. I remember talking to my dad 361 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,320 Speaker 1: during that time, like, jeez, you know, I just I 362 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: just don't know. This isn't it's not going well. I 363 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 1: don't know if I have it in me. And you know, 364 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: he would he shared with me some of you know, 365 00:18:57,040 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 1: what he went through when he was trying to break 366 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,480 Speaker 1: through in baseball, and that was certainly helpful, but it 367 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:05,199 Speaker 1: didn't you know, it didn't work for me like it 368 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:07,480 Speaker 1: did like it did for him. So I sort of 369 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: got to a point after about three years and I said, 370 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: you know, okay, I've given this my fair shot. I 371 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: really have, and I'm not going to look back and say, oh, 372 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,879 Speaker 1: you know what if. And I also realized that, you know, 373 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:23,879 Speaker 1: when I was winning matches, I didn't think I was 374 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: better than other people, but it was getting to the 375 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: point where I was losing so much and I was 376 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:31,920 Speaker 1: starting to think it was it was affecting my self 377 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,359 Speaker 1: worth and I knew that that was not healthy, right, 378 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 1: And I just said, okay, this is it's enough. 379 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:40,439 Speaker 3: So do you have an idea at this point about 380 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 3: what comes after tennis? 381 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:42,399 Speaker 2: I didn't. 382 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: I said, well, okay, when I was at Rice Anderson Consulting, 383 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 1: which is now a censure, they had a big presence 384 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:52,159 Speaker 1: on campus, and you know a lot of students graduated 385 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 1: and took jobs with Anderson. I did get a job 386 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:57,920 Speaker 1: with him. I actually had two offers, one in one 387 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: in Texas and one to work in the chief financial 388 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: Officer's office in Chicago. And Jong and I my my husband. 389 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: I'm introducing him now. But Jong and I met in 390 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: high school and when I was fifteen and I went 391 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:15,479 Speaker 1: to Jong senior prom and we then went our separate 392 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: separate ways during college and then got back together after college. 393 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 1: You know, even through all my tennis and my travels, 394 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: we had we had always dayed in touch, and we 395 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,399 Speaker 1: had we had been dating and doing sort of the 396 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,159 Speaker 1: long distance thing. And he had come over to Europe 397 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: a couple of times with me in the summer for 398 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 1: the summer tournaments. And he was now at business school 399 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 1: at the University of Chicago. And so one of these 400 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: job offers was with Anderson Consulting in Chicago, and I thought, well, 401 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:44,879 Speaker 1: you know what, up until Now Jong's always been the 402 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 1: one to come to me. You know, I have a 403 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,919 Speaker 1: chance to go to him and we can see this, 404 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 1: you know, what we can do with our relationship if 405 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: we really can spend some time together. And you know, 406 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: long story short, it worked out. We've been together ever since. 407 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:06,880 Speaker 3: Maybe an ignorant question, but what does doing long distance 408 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 3: look like like? Not in these days, because now doing 409 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:11,479 Speaker 3: long distance is like I can talk to you in 410 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:15,360 Speaker 3: two seconds and you're you know, halfway around the side 411 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 3: of the world and it doesn't matter. 412 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, we're talking about Yeah, the eighties. Really, Yeah, 413 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:25,640 Speaker 1: it was hard, right, I mean, we didn't see each 414 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:29,359 Speaker 1: other that much. There was no texting. We wrote letters 415 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:30,960 Speaker 1: and we talked to each other on the phone, but 416 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: it wasn't it wasn't every five minutes. It wasn't even 417 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,919 Speaker 1: every day. So yeah, it's tough, tough, all right. So 418 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: you moved to Chicago, So motion to Chicago, cold and windy, 419 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 1: cold and windy. Took this job with Anderson Consulting, but 420 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 1: very conservative, and I was working in the financial the 421 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: chief financial Officer's office as a financial analyst, you know, 422 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: of which I knew very little. But maybe my background 423 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 1: at school did help, and they had a great training program. 424 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 1: But I went from basically working out all the time, 425 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 1: being outside playing tennis, to being inside an office for 426 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 1: long days in a conservative office, sitting at a desk 427 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: referencing small numbers. And it was not a good fit 428 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 1: for me. 429 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 3: What does that do like to your emotional state? Because 430 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 3: I mean you're getting like all this vitamin D and 431 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 3: being outside and moving your body, and now it's like. 432 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was I had sort of hit a brick wall. 433 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:30,160 Speaker 1: What have I gotten myself into. I quickly realized, Okay, 434 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: this is not going to be a long term solution. 435 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: But I also realized I need some experience. You know. 436 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:38,719 Speaker 1: The tennis experience was great and it certainly counts, and 437 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,200 Speaker 1: as I said, is sort of you know, helped form 438 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,239 Speaker 1: me more than anything. But I needed I felt like, oh, 439 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 1: I need to stick with this at least a little while. 440 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: So it was during this time actually that well, two 441 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,560 Speaker 1: things happened. One I applied to go back to school. 442 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 1: I applied to business school. And the second thing that 443 00:22:55,880 --> 00:23:00,160 Speaker 1: happened was I started running. Oh I started running. And 444 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 1: you know, I had run as part of training for tennis, 445 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 1: but I had never really been a runner. 446 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 2: Runner. 447 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 1: I just would get off work and I'd start running 448 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:09,399 Speaker 1: along the lake. We had John and I had an 449 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: apartment down in the Printer's Row area, and you know, 450 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:16,160 Speaker 1: i'd leave our apartment and I'd run and i'd run, 451 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:18,919 Speaker 1: you know, like three to five miles and it was 452 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,679 Speaker 1: the best time of the day where I felt like 453 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: myself again, like Okay, I'm still alive. I just need 454 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: to move, I need to sweat. And that was really 455 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:33,400 Speaker 1: sort of probably the best thing I could do for myself, 456 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: the most therapeutic, as well as sort of kind of 457 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,879 Speaker 1: formulate my next plan. So yeah, so I applied to business. 458 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 3: School at the time when you started running so frequently. 459 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:45,639 Speaker 3: Did it start as a convenience. 460 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:49,080 Speaker 1: Thing, convenience in that I need to do something and 461 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: that's the easiest thing to do totally? 462 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, because it was like, oh, I'm done with work. 463 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:54,880 Speaker 3: I don't need to pay it to go somewhere, right, 464 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 3: I can just put on some shoes, yeah, and get 465 00:23:57,640 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 3: out there and get out there. 466 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 2: Okay. So you applied to itsiness school and you get in. 467 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: So I applied to business school. I applied to the 468 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: evening program actually, and I started at Kellogg as an 469 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: evening student while I was working at Anderson Consulting. So 470 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 1: I stayed at Anderson. I did my first half of 471 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,679 Speaker 1: the program as an evening student and taught tennis to 472 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 1: kind of supplement in the summers. And I had finished 473 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: half the program, I transferred to the full time program 474 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: and did the last half of the program full time, 475 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 1: which was awesome. 476 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:32,440 Speaker 3: And so you graduate from business school, you're still in Chicago, 477 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 3: and you have an aspiration that you want to integrate 478 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 3: your passions for fitness and wellness and all this newfound 479 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 3: business knowledge. 480 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. And I should say along the way, John 481 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 1: and I got married. Yeah, so we both had jobs. 482 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:54,359 Speaker 1: Now he's working in Chicago and I'm graduated from business 483 00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 1: school and we decided, okay, we want to be back east, 484 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 1: we want to be near our family. And we were 485 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: kind of in both interviewing and really fortunate. John got 486 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: a job with Timberland, which is in Hampton, New Hampshire, 487 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: and I got a job at Reebok as a social 488 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,840 Speaker 1: product manager for tennis, which for me was like how 489 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:20,119 Speaker 1: perfect is that? How lucky was I? They came and 490 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: interviewed on campus and I was like, I am going 491 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: to get this job. And I did, and I did. 492 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 3: You guys should have seen my facial expression. I was like, 493 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:30,879 Speaker 3: how could that have been more perfect? That's like unbelievable. 494 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,160 Speaker 3: And so is Reebok at this time? Where are they based? 495 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:34,280 Speaker 3: Because now they're in Boston? 496 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: Yep, so they were there in Boston? What if? 497 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 3: Sweet new life stage though, like the both of you 498 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:43,919 Speaker 3: working jobs that seemingly you're passionate about. Yeah, and is 499 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 3: the job at Rebok everything that you had hoped for? 500 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 1: It was awesome? Yeah, it was awesome just to you know, 501 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 1: fast paced industry, something that I knew a lot about. 502 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: I got promoted quickly, moved up the ranks, and yeah, 503 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:57,880 Speaker 1: it was a great beginning. 504 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,920 Speaker 3: I can only imagine how different it must have been 505 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:04,399 Speaker 3: to work for a company like Rebok then versus working 506 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 3: for a company like you do now. Just such a 507 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 3: different state of sport and industry. 508 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 1: And yes, god, yeah, now the industry has changed. It 509 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:18,159 Speaker 1: really has changed a lot over the years, and in 510 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:21,120 Speaker 1: some ways it really hasn't you know what. Now, those 511 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:23,440 Speaker 1: were the days when Reebok was fine with Nike for 512 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 1: the number one position for a nanosecond. But it was 513 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:29,640 Speaker 1: fast and furious and a lot of fun. 514 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 2: So how long are you at Reebok for? 515 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:35,399 Speaker 1: So? Is that Rebok for about four years? And I 516 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,439 Speaker 1: should I should say it was during that time, you know, 517 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 1: shortly after I started at Rebok that Haley was born, 518 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 1: our first child, our oldest daughter. And Hannah was born 519 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: when I was at Reebok as well, so I had 520 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:53,439 Speaker 1: two little girls, and John and I were both working. 521 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 1: You know, we had the benefit of his parents and 522 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:01,439 Speaker 1: my mom a specially, who helped a lot with the kids, 523 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: so that we could kind of both work like we 524 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 1: were and travel like we were traveling. Yeah, and then 525 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:11,160 Speaker 1: then an opportunity came up to join Tommy Hill Figure footwear. 526 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 1: Stride Right was a company that had the license for 527 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: Tommy Hill Figure, sort of launch footwear for Tommy Hill 528 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 1: Figure back in the days. Tommy himself was super involved. 529 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: I'd go to New York once a week and you know, 530 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,119 Speaker 1: be working with Tommy and his direct team. So that 531 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: was a huge learning experience and kind of a lot 532 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 1: of fun. I'd worked at Tommy for about three years 533 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:37,440 Speaker 1: and then Sarah was born, so I took some time off, 534 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:39,680 Speaker 1: you know, and that was that was a great thing. 535 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 1: It was really a gift quite honestly. And actually one 536 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 1: one of the things that happened next was Sarah was 537 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 1: was was our third And having babies is great, but 538 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,440 Speaker 1: it's hard. And it's hard on the body too. Yeah, 539 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 1: and with each with each pregnancy, your body is a 540 00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 1: little less resilient. I had never had much trouble kind 541 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: of bouncing back. I've been sort of fortunate. But after Sarah, 542 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 1: I was like, well, I'm not yeah, just not quite 543 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 1: bouncing back the same. And so it had a treadmill 544 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:12,719 Speaker 1: and I was running when Sarah was napping or whatever. 545 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:19,400 Speaker 1: Somehow I got into Tybo. Okay, yeah, Billy Banks. Billy Banks. 546 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:24,160 Speaker 2: Billy Banks absolutely a TVT for hurdle today, Oh for sure. 547 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,359 Speaker 1: So I would put Billy Banks on in the living 548 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:29,760 Speaker 1: room and have you know, at this point and maybe 549 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:32,119 Speaker 1: now Sarah is starting to crawl around, and I would 550 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:36,439 Speaker 1: do my Tibo workouts and those were game changers for me. 551 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: I love it it, you know, I love First of all, 552 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: I loved him. I loved the sort of the aggressiveness 553 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 1: of the workout, and I love the results. 554 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so you know. 555 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 1: Forty five minutes of that and you were like sweating 556 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: and felt great and you got results. And at one 557 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 1: point I remember being in the living room doing doing 558 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 1: the workout. I was down on all fours doing leg 559 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: kicks and at this point Sarah is crawling around and 560 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 1: I was so into the workout I didn't realize she 561 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 1: was behind me, and I actually kicked Sarah about four 562 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:15,080 Speaker 1: feet across the room. 563 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 2: Okay, that's frightening. 564 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 1: It's frightening. Sarah's Sarah's survived. She's absolutely fine. But yeah, 565 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 1: oh my god, that's multitasking. 566 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 2: A quick Google search just to make sure that I 567 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 2: don't offend anyone. Billy Blanks b l A n KS. 568 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:36,320 Speaker 2: I called him Banks and two right now. Apparently he 569 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 2: lives in Orange County. Really, who knew? You guys can 570 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 2: hang out? 571 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, we could connect. 572 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 2: Tibo and Body's late nineteen nineties culture and its creator, 573 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:48,080 Speaker 2: Billy Blanks is still going strong for a Google result. 574 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 1: Awesome. 575 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:53,240 Speaker 2: Oh man, Okay, Well, thank god. Sarah's okay, she's great. 576 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 2: You get back into shape. That makes you feel better 577 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 2: about yourself, which is important. And how long until you 578 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 2: go back. 579 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: To working again? I think I was off for about 580 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 1: a year and a half. Then yeah, which was really good. 581 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 2: And then what's the next opportunity and do you actively 582 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 2: seek it or do they find you? Or how does 583 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 2: that happen? 584 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: They found me. I think it was after that that 585 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: I went to Timberland. Okay, yep, they had been They 586 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 1: had been calling me, and your husband Jong had actually left. 587 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 1: It ended up we both ended up back at Timberland. 588 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:26,960 Speaker 1: He was there for a second tour of duty and 589 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: I was there for my first, and I headed up 590 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: the women's business, and you know, that was a that 591 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: was a great company and a really good fit for 592 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 1: me too, super into the outdoors, and you know, I 593 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 1: loved running the women's business and sort of helping get 594 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: that business, you know, on the map. 595 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:46,560 Speaker 2: When does New Balance come into the picture? 596 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:48,800 Speaker 1: I joined New Balance in two thousand and nine. I 597 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: was there for six years as a general manager of 598 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: women's kids and part of the lifestyle business. You know, 599 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:57,240 Speaker 1: they actually hired me and said we want you know, 600 00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:58,960 Speaker 1: we want you to run the women's business and we 601 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: want you to really focus on wellness, which was just 602 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: sort of right up my alley. I had a great, 603 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: small but mighty little little team of primarily women, and 604 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:11,120 Speaker 1: some of the work that we did there to sort 605 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: of put New Balanced Women's on the map and reframe 606 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:16,080 Speaker 1: it and reposition it. Yeah, it was it was great. 607 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 1: It was a really good time. 608 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 2: New Balance or six years. And then what happened. 609 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I got this phone call from a 610 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 1: recruiter and it's the kind of thing that had they 611 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 1: called me a week before, I may not have even 612 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: taken the call. But it was early on in the 613 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: winter of twenty fifteen, which was especially harsh winter. We 614 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 1: had just you know, shoveled the flat roof for like 615 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 1: the third time in ten days. I got this call 616 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:44,840 Speaker 1: to be the president of the Teva brand. I returned 617 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 1: the call and I started talking to the recruiter and 618 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 1: it was just really kind of interesting and I Sean 619 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: and I talked about it, and it's like, think California. 620 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,479 Speaker 1: I mean, what are the chances we'd really do something 621 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:58,959 Speaker 1: like that? And he said, well, just you know, take 622 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 1: the call, continue with it. Interviews. I was taking a 623 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:03,880 Speaker 1: trip to Asia for New Balance, and I actually stopped 624 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: on my way back here in Santa Barbara and spent 625 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 1: a weekend and interviewed and went out to dinner, and 626 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 1: you got to know a couple of the key people 627 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:18,920 Speaker 1: and looked around Santa Barbara and like you said, there's 628 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 1: a lot to like. This is a beautiful, beautiful place. 629 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 1: And talked to John and actually talked to Sarah because 630 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: Sarah was a junior in high school at the time. 631 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: So now we're talking in the spring of twenty fifteen, 632 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: she's a junior in high school. And I said, you know, Sarah, 633 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:34,800 Speaker 1: I think I could. I think I can get this job. 634 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 1: You're not going to leave for your senior year. I'm 635 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 1: going to tell them, hey, call me in a year. 636 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:43,000 Speaker 1: And it was really Sarah who said, you know, Mom, 637 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 1: don't do that, get the job. We could go, we 638 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 1: could go there. Why not? And you know, that's really 639 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:54,479 Speaker 1: brave of a junior in high school to have that 640 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,360 Speaker 1: kind of attitude. It kept going with the interview process. 641 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:00,680 Speaker 1: Long story short, they made me the offer. Decided to go, 642 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:03,240 Speaker 1: which doesn't sound maybe like such a big deal, but 643 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: it kind of was. I mean, we we lived our 644 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,280 Speaker 1: whole life in New England, a lot of family, a 645 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:11,760 Speaker 1: lot of friends, and so it was a huge decision. 646 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 3: I think a lot about like, I love living on 647 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:16,960 Speaker 3: the East Coast, I love New York. I do love 648 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 3: coming to visit here. I feel like my pace is 649 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 3: very new York, like how my head works. But I 650 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 3: do think about what it would be like to come 651 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:27,560 Speaker 3: somewhere on the West coast or just toward the west 652 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 3: a bit, and it makes me a little unsettled to 653 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 3: think about leaving that behind, to not be able to 654 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 3: take an hour and a half to go see my parents, 655 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 3: or if something was to happen. It just makes me 656 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 3: a little anxious. Well, that's the hardest part totally. That 657 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 3: is the hardest part. I mean, I you know, staying 658 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 3: in touch with my parents and seeing them enough. It's 659 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 3: the hardest part for sure. But at the same time, 660 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:52,000 Speaker 3: we really haven't looked back. I mean, five years has 661 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 3: gone by quickly. I just travel a lot for this job, 662 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 3: so I do get back. So talk to me now 663 00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:01,840 Speaker 3: about how this position for you feels at Hoka, at 664 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:04,960 Speaker 3: least from the get go. I mean, it's not just Hoka, 665 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:08,840 Speaker 3: I'm sure, But I spoke with Kelly Cortina, she is 666 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 3: at the North Face, and she talked to me about 667 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,640 Speaker 3: how difficult it is to be a woman at such 668 00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:14,840 Speaker 3: a big company because there aren't many of them in 669 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 3: top leadership positions, especially in sport. 670 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:20,759 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's very true in the industry and at the 671 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:23,839 Speaker 1: company I'm at. That's very true. The higher up you go, 672 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:26,319 Speaker 1: the sort of harder it gets, and the more male 673 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,799 Speaker 1: dominated it is. This thing we call sort of unintentional 674 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:34,000 Speaker 1: bias is really real. I mean, very good people that 675 00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:38,120 Speaker 1: are well intended, but we all bring different unintentional bias 676 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,600 Speaker 1: to whatever it is that we do. And I think, 677 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:44,799 Speaker 1: you know, higher up in the ranks and business, it's 678 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: very prevalent, you know, something to be mindful of and 679 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:51,480 Speaker 1: to navigate carefully. It takes great confidence. But I'm not 680 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:52,120 Speaker 1: done yet. 681 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:53,479 Speaker 2: I'm not done yet. 682 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:55,680 Speaker 3: Where do you draw that confidence from when it comes 683 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:57,800 Speaker 3: to being in these difficult situations. 684 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 1: I'm fortunate I have a great team of whom I 685 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:04,400 Speaker 1: recruited from the East Coast to join me at Hoka. 686 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:07,839 Speaker 1: I draw back regularly to I think my experience from 687 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:12,040 Speaker 1: sport and being a competitive athlete, and that you know 688 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:12,920 Speaker 1: that confidence. 689 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:17,080 Speaker 3: I mean, Hoka is one of Decker's more recently acquired brands, 690 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:19,919 Speaker 3: over like about five years now. Well think we're about 691 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:23,719 Speaker 3: eight years old now, So so how has that been 692 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,480 Speaker 3: kind of being at the helm of what is for 693 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:28,880 Speaker 3: the corporation a newer business. 694 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:31,600 Speaker 1: So Hokah is about ten years Old Deckers acquired it 695 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 1: about six years ago, and it is growing like gangbusters. Yeah, 696 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:40,480 Speaker 1: it's it's fast and it's furious, and you know, this 697 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,959 Speaker 1: is the team, it's my team. The job that they've 698 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 1: done to scale this brand is just incredible. You know, 699 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:49,439 Speaker 1: when we started four and a half five years ago, 700 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,360 Speaker 1: you know, the brand was about seventy million dollars and 701 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:56,839 Speaker 1: it's it'll it'll go well past three hundred million this year. 702 00:35:56,960 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 1: So we're not supposed to share a lot of numbers, 703 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:01,839 Speaker 1: but you a, you know, more than triple top line 704 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:06,040 Speaker 1: and more than five times bottom line, so it's it's 705 00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:08,160 Speaker 1: a real success story. It's been a ton of fun 706 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:12,239 Speaker 1: to work on, and we've really focused on very basic strategy, 707 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:15,520 Speaker 1: which from the beginning, which is really grow awareness when 708 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:19,839 Speaker 1: with women, bold design, operational excellence, and I should say, 709 00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 1: first and foremost building out a world class team. 710 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:25,520 Speaker 3: It's also interesting because I feel like for people that 711 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 3: don't have the brand recognition of Hoka, when they describe 712 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:31,520 Speaker 3: a hopa sneka, they're like that really big bulky sneaker. 713 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:33,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, do you guys just own that? 714 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:36,600 Speaker 1: You know, we we do own it. Although you know, 715 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:38,920 Speaker 1: a lot of people are taking notice and starting to 716 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,800 Speaker 1: develop their own versions. So you know, I truly believe 717 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 1: that Hoka is a better mouse trap when it comes to, 718 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:48,920 Speaker 1: you know, being just the best running product out there. 719 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:53,080 Speaker 1: It is both the geometry as well as you know, 720 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:54,920 Speaker 1: the foam and the thickness. 721 00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:55,440 Speaker 2: You know. 722 00:36:55,719 --> 00:36:58,320 Speaker 1: The biggest thing too, is that people experience this Hoka 723 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:00,880 Speaker 1: brand and it's they find it to be life changing. 724 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 1: You know, people that couldn't run anymore. Some people were 725 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:06,080 Speaker 1: having you know, trouble standing for long periods of time. 726 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:09,040 Speaker 1: They put on Hoka and they're able to get off 727 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 1: their couch and start running or get back to running. 728 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:15,080 Speaker 1: And we have consumers on a daily basis reaching out 729 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:17,440 Speaker 1: to us saying, you know, you've changed my life. 730 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:19,839 Speaker 2: Can you give me a little bit of insight as 731 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:23,359 Speaker 2: to I guess, like in Layman's terms, like the technology 732 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:25,719 Speaker 2: that we're talking about when it comes to why is 733 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:29,040 Speaker 2: it that the Hoka sneaker is enabling these people that 734 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:31,799 Speaker 2: thought that running was a pastime for them able to 735 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:32,839 Speaker 2: get back out on the road. 736 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:37,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's really the geometry of the bottom, the foam 737 00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: that we use, and that combination of this rocker soul 738 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:46,960 Speaker 1: and you know, you put it on and you feel it, 739 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:51,760 Speaker 1: and what it does is it helps you recover quicker, 740 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:55,040 Speaker 1: and it also helps you go more efficiently through your 741 00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:55,680 Speaker 1: gate cycle. 742 00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:58,719 Speaker 3: And that's how your foot hits the ground when you're 743 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:02,080 Speaker 3: running correct. Some times I need to like really break 744 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:04,800 Speaker 3: this down because I do. I'm super thankful. The audience 745 00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:07,120 Speaker 3: is like a ton a lot of them are super 746 00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 3: into running. But sometimes it's like the words that you 747 00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:11,880 Speaker 3: and I feel are like the ABC is. It's like, oh, 748 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:13,960 Speaker 3: this is what a gate cycle is. Yes, thank you, 749 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:17,480 Speaker 3: this is pronation right, all of those things. Okay, so 750 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:23,000 Speaker 3: it makes a more efficient less efficient gate cycle. 751 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:23,440 Speaker 2: Yes, okay. 752 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:26,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. And if you think about, you know, the repetitive 753 00:38:26,239 --> 00:38:30,200 Speaker 1: motion of running, If every step can just be a 754 00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:32,759 Speaker 1: little bit easier and a little bit more gentle on 755 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:36,359 Speaker 1: your body, you know that cumulative effect is considerable. 756 00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:39,399 Speaker 3: In more recent years, I would argue, and I'm sure 757 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,080 Speaker 3: you'll close sind this, that the offerings from Hokah have 758 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:45,320 Speaker 3: become some of them a little less quote unquote bulky, 759 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:48,480 Speaker 3: and now you offer shoes that aren't necessarily one hundred 760 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:49,479 Speaker 3: percent for running either. 761 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,799 Speaker 1: Yep, we're still pretty focused on running, but we have 762 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 1: a couple models that are more more fitness, and what 763 00:38:56,000 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 1: we've tried to do esthetically is without compromising the bottom unit, 764 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:04,960 Speaker 1: which is where you get all your cushioning and cradling. 765 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:08,760 Speaker 1: What we've tried to do esthetically is make it look 766 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:10,920 Speaker 1: a little slimmer, so some of that you know, with 767 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:13,600 Speaker 1: paint lines or whatever. And I think, you know, the 768 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:16,560 Speaker 1: job that they've done on the product to make it, 769 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:20,239 Speaker 1: to make the aesthetics more pleasing, has been considerable while 770 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:22,480 Speaker 1: not compromising the functionality of the product. 771 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:28,439 Speaker 3: Being in such arguably sought after position, being someone who 772 00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:30,840 Speaker 3: is making a lot of really great decisions at a 773 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:35,040 Speaker 3: big company, I'm sure at times it's stressful. You think 774 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:38,240 Speaker 3: about some of the best advice that you've been offered 775 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:40,600 Speaker 3: in business, and what do you think. 776 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:44,520 Speaker 1: About Brene Brown listening to some of what she's done 777 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:46,520 Speaker 1: and reading some of her books. Just the idea of 778 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:51,239 Speaker 1: clarity is kindness. I think being direct and clear with 779 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:55,040 Speaker 1: people is so incredibly important. The benefit of you know, 780 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:58,719 Speaker 1: working closely with a lot of young people and men 781 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:02,239 Speaker 1: and women just great humans and seeing them at the 782 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:05,799 Speaker 1: earlier stages of their career and you know, helping them 783 00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:10,239 Speaker 1: kind of navigate and bring confidence to what it is 784 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:14,239 Speaker 1: they do and helping them to bet on themselves. You know, 785 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:17,040 Speaker 1: that's a big thing. It served me very well, and 786 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,279 Speaker 1: I like to share that with other people too. 787 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:23,640 Speaker 3: I'm curious about this idea of mentoring people that are 788 00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:27,360 Speaker 3: younger than you, while still knowing that you want someone 789 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:29,680 Speaker 3: to lean into for like the same sort of purpose 790 00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:31,959 Speaker 3: for yourself. Like, is there a point where you would 791 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:35,000 Speaker 3: say that you have to make a transition into being 792 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:37,600 Speaker 3: the mentor versus the mentee or do you think that 793 00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:40,800 Speaker 3: there's always room to play on both sides of the court. 794 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:43,560 Speaker 1: Absolutely, always room to play on both sides of the court, 795 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:47,120 Speaker 1: for sure. I mean you're I'm always learning, you know, 796 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:50,440 Speaker 1: and learning and growing, and that's what makes it interesting 797 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:53,200 Speaker 1: and fun and you know, and the longer I've been 798 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:55,160 Speaker 1: doing this, the more I realize, Oh, I have a 799 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:57,920 Speaker 1: fair amount of stuff to share if people are interested. 800 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:01,520 Speaker 2: I'm interested. I know the hurdlers are interested. 801 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:04,799 Speaker 3: I think also what you said about being direct and 802 00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:07,919 Speaker 3: also being kind is very important, because I think that's 803 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:12,719 Speaker 3: a lesson that so many people are constantly learning or 804 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:15,960 Speaker 3: coming to understand is even possible. Yes, it's not like 805 00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:19,600 Speaker 3: you have to be cutthroat or rude to get what 806 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:21,640 Speaker 3: it is that you want. You can be direct and 807 00:41:21,719 --> 00:41:22,960 Speaker 3: also be kind. 808 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:26,560 Speaker 1: Absolutely absolutely, and you know and at the same time, 809 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:29,120 Speaker 1: you know sometimes you have to take actions that are 810 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 1: not popular and won't be seen as kind by everyone. 811 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 1: But I think that's really important too, Like when you 812 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:38,520 Speaker 1: know you have to make a change, you know if 813 00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:41,319 Speaker 1: you have to, if you have to let someone go. 814 00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:45,480 Speaker 1: I mean, these are hard things and they're affecting people's livelihoods, 815 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:48,239 Speaker 1: but you have to do it because it's the right 816 00:41:48,239 --> 00:41:50,520 Speaker 1: thing for the business and ultimately it's the right thing 817 00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:53,680 Speaker 1: for them to doing that and not waiting and not 818 00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:56,279 Speaker 1: pushing off for tomorrow what you really need to take 819 00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:59,600 Speaker 1: care of today. That's super important. 820 00:42:00,239 --> 00:42:03,680 Speaker 3: You have an opportunity right now to offer yourself one 821 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:07,000 Speaker 3: piece of advice looking back on the hurdle moment, which 822 00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:11,360 Speaker 3: was going off to college, diving into tennis, being behind 823 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:15,440 Speaker 3: what was a pretty difficult family situation, and probably feeling 824 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:18,120 Speaker 3: a lot of pressure, especially put on by yourself. You 825 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:19,960 Speaker 3: have an opportunity right now, when you look back on that, 826 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:22,440 Speaker 3: to offer yourself one piece of advice. 827 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:25,520 Speaker 2: What do you tell yourself, bet on yourself. 828 00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:26,640 Speaker 1: It's all going to work out. 829 00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:28,959 Speaker 2: I love it. Thank you so much. For your time. 830 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:32,000 Speaker 3: Please take a moment and leave a quick review by 831 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,440 Speaker 3: clicking the link with the description to this episode. We 832 00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:37,600 Speaker 3: all face multiple hurdles in life. I want to hear 833 00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:39,800 Speaker 3: about yours. Reach out to me at Emily at hurdle 834 00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:42,840 Speaker 3: dot us. Connect with the podcast on Instagram and Twitter 835 00:42:43,239 --> 00:42:44,280 Speaker 3: at Hurdle Podcast. 836 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:47,440 Speaker 2: Wendy, how do they keep up with Hokah? Where can 837 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:50,080 Speaker 2: they find them? Maybe? Where can they find you? Give 838 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:51,319 Speaker 2: me some details. 839 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:56,080 Speaker 1: Well, they can find Hoka at Hoka dot com. That's 840 00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:58,920 Speaker 1: Hoko O n E O n e dot. 841 00:42:58,719 --> 00:43:01,200 Speaker 2: Com, not one one correct. 842 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:04,399 Speaker 1: And you can find me at Wendy dot Yang at 843 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:05,600 Speaker 1: deckers dot com. 844 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:09,759 Speaker 3: Thank you so much, another hurdle conquered. Catch you guys 845 00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:10,160 Speaker 3: next time.