1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,760 Speaker 1: So I had just come off of a world championship 2 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: that made me the most decorated athlete male or female 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: in history. So I thought I was in a really 4 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: great place. But the conversations, even before I was pregnant 5 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: or disclosed my pregnancy, they started off at seventy percent 6 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: less than what I had been making. 7 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 2: Welcome to She Pivots, the podcast where we talk with 8 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 2: women who dared to pivot out of one career and 9 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 2: into something new and explore how their personal lives impacted 10 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:46,639 Speaker 2: these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. If you're 11 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 2: a runner, there's no doubt you'll know this next guest today, 12 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 2: I'm so excited to share my conversation with Alison Felix, 13 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 2: the world's most decorated track and field athlete male or female. 14 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 2: Over the course of her running career, she's competed in 15 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 2: five Olympics and nine World Championships, winning a total of 16 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 2: thirty medals between the two. But despite her record breaking success, 17 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 2: she still experienced inequality in her career. When deciding to 18 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 2: pursue motherhood, Alison soon realized that maternal protections were not 19 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 2: going to be an option for her. After attempting to 20 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 2: renegotiate her contract, her sponsored offered her a seventy percent 21 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 2: pay cut, something that would never happen to a male athlete. 22 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 2: Contemplating parenthood after all the medals, after all the records, 23 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 2: after a decade of partnership, but inspired by the women 24 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 2: around her, her teammates, her fellow cohorts, and other sports 25 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 2: and of course, her daughter, Alison, decided to fight back. 26 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 2: In her own words, she has said that advocacy has 27 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 2: changed the game. After she called out the hypocrisy of 28 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 2: many athletic companies who claimed to quote support women but 29 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: never offered maternity protections, many major sponsors announced maternity protections 30 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 2: and change their corporate policies, guaranteeing athletes pay and bonuses 31 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 2: through and after pregnancy. After changing an entire industry for 32 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 2: the better and making history, she left her sponsor and pivoted. 33 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 2: Since then, she has launched her footwear brand Sache, with 34 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 2: the goal of being designed for and built for women 35 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: whose bodies change. Although Allison is an Olympian, her story 36 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 2: is all too common for women across many industries. Beyond 37 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 2: going head to head with her sponsor and winning, Alison's 38 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 2: story delves into learning how to cope with disappointment and loss, 39 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 2: how she advocates for others, and confronting the realities of motherhood. Enjoy. 40 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: I am Alison Felix. I am an olympian and an entrepreneur. 41 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 2: So I want to talk about the start of your 42 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 2: running career. So your older brother, Wes was a successful 43 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 2: So did that encourage you to get into it or 44 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 2: you just separately felt it in you. 45 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: And the typical little sister, Like I've ran after my 46 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: brother all of my life, and so he was running 47 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: and he was doing really well. But I was at 48 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: a new school and I just didn't really have like 49 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: my friend group yet. And so it was him and 50 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: like my dad who were like, you should go out 51 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: for the track team, like you'll meet people. And so 52 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: I had no like ambition to like be an athlete. 53 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: That was not a part of why I started running 54 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: at all. It was just like, Okay, this will be 55 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: a great way to like find friends. So I was 56 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: encouraged by the fact that he was an athlete and 57 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: he was doing well, so I thought maybe, but yeah, 58 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: it was really just like I need friends, and it worked. 59 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: I found my best friends, my best girlfriends. They were 60 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: actually like all in my wedding, like where it's so 61 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: close to this day. So it did. And then I 62 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: also absolutely fell in love with the sport and found 63 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: the thing that made me feel alive. 64 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 2: It felt right, and so that was like the birth 65 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 2: of all of that. Did you think that you were 66 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 2: going to be the best runner in the world. 67 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: I did not, So that was not my plan. And 68 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: I didn't know anything. Like myself and my family, like 69 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: we didn't have that background, so we didn't really know. 70 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: It was just kind of, you know, I was doing well. 71 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: I went to the state meet, and then as I 72 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,359 Speaker 1: got faster than people started to tell us. And the 73 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: way that the Olympic Trials and everything worked is basically, 74 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 1: if you run a qualifying time, then you know you 75 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: can go. And so I started to run those times 76 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: and then I was like, oh wow, I can I 77 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: can go, and then it just kept going from there. 78 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 2: So at what point did the running start to become 79 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 2: serious for you? Like your career outpaced your brothers. 80 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: So I went pro from high school and so I 81 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: had a professional coach. I was a freshman at USC 82 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: That was the biggest competition I had ever performed in, 83 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: and it was it was all new. 84 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 2: Going pro straight out of high school was nearly unheard of. 85 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:58,359 Speaker 2: Most athletes don't even make it to the collegiate level, 86 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 2: and even fewer, less than two percent go pro. 87 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: It all happened very quickly. I initially started as a 88 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: freshman in high school and so that was my introduction. 89 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: And by the end of my time in high school, 90 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: it was very clear that this was a path that 91 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 1: I could take. And early on I was like, oh, maybe, 92 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 1: you know, I can go to college and you know, 93 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,359 Speaker 1: I'll get a scholarship. And then it was like, oh, no, 94 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 1: you can be a professional athlete. And I wasn't. I 95 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,159 Speaker 1: didn't grow up in the sport. I didn't know any 96 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:28,479 Speaker 1: of that. And then it all became very real. You know, 97 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: I could go to the Olympics and all of that. 98 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: So started my freshman year and then my first year 99 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: in college that's when I went to the Olympics. So 100 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: it was a very fast process. 101 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 3: The Olympic Trials and that is the women's two hundred meters. 102 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 3: It will be the final event on the track. A 103 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 3: sprite star for the United States Allison Felix. She's only 104 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 3: eighteen years old. She already has been on the cover 105 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 3: Sports Illustrated. How about that at eighteen years. 106 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 4: Old and Allison Feelix, it's been running with more confidence 107 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 4: each round. Here, she is really rounding in the shape, 108 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 4: one of the first female or male athlete to go 109 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 4: straight from high school right into the pros. 110 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 3: Howson Felix turns up the challenge and on the inside 111 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 3: muna lead Felix wrings it Feelix with the whimfre You were. 112 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 2: Saying, despite her success at such a young age, her 113 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 2: parents still expected her to complete her college education. 114 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 1: I come from a family of educators, so there was 115 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 1: no chance that I was not going to school. Thankfully, 116 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: you know, they worked out into the contract that you know, 117 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: my schooling would be paid for and all of that. 118 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 1: So that was a regular student. You know, I didn't 119 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,799 Speaker 1: compete collegiately, but I was trying to do both. 120 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, So how did you navigate that decision if you 121 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 2: were the first US athlete to sign a professional contract 122 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 2: instead of competing for the school. What was that decision like? 123 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 2: What was that process like in making the decision? I mean, 124 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 2: it was a really hard decision to make. 125 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: It was one that I really like sat down with 126 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: my family and we went back and forth, you know, 127 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: the pros and the cons and it ultimately really came 128 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 1: to the fact that I wanted to make the Olympic team. 129 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: And it was that year. 130 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 2: If you're wondering why she couldn't compete at both the 131 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 2: collegiate level and as a pro well, until a recent 132 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 2: Supreme Court ruling, college athletes were banned from earning any 133 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 2: money from their sport, whether it be from sponsorship, races 134 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 2: or otherwise. 135 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: I basically made the decision that I think my best 136 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: shot would be to go pro and be able to 137 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: focus on the Olympic trials and making the team that way. 138 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: So that's really what the decision came down to. But 139 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: it was hard, especially that first year. I had a 140 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: really challenging time competing. I was competing against women who 141 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: were grown and this is what they had been doing, 142 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: and so that was hard. It was hard just navigating 143 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: being a professional athlete, being still a young woman and 144 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: figuring out that whole world. And so it was a 145 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: lot of trial and error in figuring out what worked. 146 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: But the first year, the first couple of years, they 147 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: were pretty rocky. It was also a little bit strange 148 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: because all of my friends they were on the team 149 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: and I thought I was going to be on the 150 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: team until like I made this decision to go pro, 151 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: So it was kind of navigating this new world. I 152 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: was the first US athlete who had done this, so 153 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: there wasn't like a path charted before me. So I 154 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: was a lot of like just figuring it out and 155 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: trying to be focused because my goal was to make 156 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: that Olympic team, but also school was absolutely important to 157 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: me as well. So I got some things wrong and 158 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: found my way. You know, eventually, what. 159 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 2: Do you feel like you got wrong? I think I thought. 160 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: It was going to be almost like high school. You know, 161 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: you go to class and then you go to practice 162 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: and like everything's good. But it was like, school's really hard. 163 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: I'm adjusting to being at college, and then all of 164 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: my competitions are overseas, so I'm traveling. I'm letting professors know, 165 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: like I have this and this, and they're like, what 166 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: is that. That's not not the school team, so we 167 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 1: can't really help you there. So it was like navigating 168 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: how do I keep up with all of my classes, 169 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,719 Speaker 1: all of my exams and everything while still being on 170 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: the st and traveling overseas and going to all these competitions. 171 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: I think at the beginning, I attempted to, like, you know, 172 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: be doing all the things, and it just it wasn't possible. 173 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: I was training with my professional coach and I was 174 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: the only athlete, so it was kind of an isolating 175 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: experience because it was just so busy, so intense. It 176 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: was near impossible to be living the traditional college experience. 177 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 2: Do you remember there being a moment when you thought 178 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 2: I can do this, I can be the. 179 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: Best after the Olympics. So I went to the Olympics. 180 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: They were in Athens, and I got a silver medal. 181 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: That was the kind of the moment where I was like, oh, 182 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 1: the fire is lit. I was really disappointed. Initially, I 183 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 1: was like I felt so close to gold. And then 184 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,559 Speaker 1: my family like very quickly put everything in perspective to me, 185 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: it's like you're eighteen years old, and they helped me realize. 186 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: But I definitely would say that was the moment where 187 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 1: I saw the greater potential and I also saw it 188 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: was going to take a lot more work to get there. 189 00:09:57,640 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: But that was the moment where I was like, this 190 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: is I want to do and I got to keep 191 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 1: going with this. 192 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,239 Speaker 2: So you've described having a really not just a professional 193 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 2: mindset around it, but a pretty intense mindset around it, 194 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 2: where you didn't really celebrate the winds, but the loss 195 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 2: is really really stuck with you. I mean that sounds 196 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 2: like a very serious competitive mindset. When did that switch? 197 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: I feel like I experience that for the majority of 198 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: the beginning of my career, probably until my third Olympics. 199 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: I would say, I mean, I think that's naturally just 200 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: who I am, where I'm super competitive, I'm super critical 201 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: of myself and just really hard on myself, and I 202 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,200 Speaker 1: think it started to kind of shift after being in 203 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: pursuit of a gold medal for a very long time. 204 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 1: I think I started to just learn the process more 205 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: and learn what was more important to me. I guess. 206 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: So the first two Olympics I got silver medals, and 207 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 1: then it was the third Olympics where things really came 208 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,560 Speaker 1: together for me and I finally got ultimately my individual 209 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: gold medal. 210 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 3: She now goes after history trying to be only the 211 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 3: third woman to pull off the. 212 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: Four hundred and two hundred doubles. 213 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 3: Phoenix and Lambs line and Adamson. 214 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: Phoenix gets her. 215 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 3: Gold pray for Christ a second, it looked. 216 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 1: Like ten Or was third success was like gold. That's 217 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 1: the only way to like determine it. That's the only 218 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 1: way that it measured up. And I just I went 219 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,439 Speaker 1: there a really difficult time after getting the second silver medal, 220 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 1: and I was just like this, I don't know if 221 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: this is ever gonna happen for me. And then after 222 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: you know, going back the next four years and dedicating 223 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: myself and giving everything I had, when it finally did 224 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: come together, it didn't exactly feel like what I thought 225 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: it would. I think I had like built it up 226 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: to be this incredible thing. Like I thought everything was 227 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 1: going to change. I thought my life was going to 228 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: be different, and then it happened and kind of like 229 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: nothing changed, and I went back to life and everything 230 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: was the same, and it took me time to unpack it. 231 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 1: But I think it was just the magic was along 232 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,199 Speaker 1: the way. It was the process. It was the growing, 233 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 1: the stretching, becoming, all of that, and so it was 234 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,680 Speaker 1: less about the actual accomplishment but more about. 235 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 2: The journey to get there. I really identify with that. 236 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 2: I feel like I go at things so intensely that 237 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,079 Speaker 2: when I do something like I don't know how to 238 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 2: describe it anyway other than I like ram my head 239 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 2: into it. Yeah, And I feel like sometimes if I 240 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 2: get to that thing that I immediately moved the goal post. Yeah, 241 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 2: so that I'm always pushing myself. Maybe it's not very healthy, actually, 242 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 2: but do you feel like as soon as you got 243 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:38,559 Speaker 2: that one goal, like you just moved the gold post 244 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 2: to the next? 245 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:39,719 Speaker 4: Oh? 246 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: Absolutely, yeah, And I agree with you. I don't think 247 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: it's the healthiest thing. But I think when you're so 248 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:49,679 Speaker 1: focused on something, and I think that was also one 249 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: of the things I learned, is like instead of being 250 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: so focused on one specific goal, that I could measure 251 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 1: success in different ways, and like there were successful things, 252 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:01,839 Speaker 1: and I think it is important to celebrate the winds 253 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: along the way. But it was like I was stuck 254 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,000 Speaker 1: and I wouldn't allow myself to go there. And then 255 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: finally I was like, there has to be a different way, 256 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: And I think that's when I start to understand there's 257 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: other measures of success. 258 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 2: Okay, we have to go deeper in here, because I 259 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:17,560 Speaker 2: feel like this is the entire thesis of the show 260 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 2: that I am in fact still personally struggling with. How 261 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 2: does one find multiple ways to find success for themselves? 262 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 2: But how did you find different ways to measure success. 263 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it came later in life, but I 264 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: started to realize that it was never about the metals. 265 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: I thought that it was. I thought I put so 266 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:41,319 Speaker 1: much focus and so much intensity on that, But it 267 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: was on like having impact, understanding that my purpose in 268 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: life is not just to like run fast. I have 269 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: the ability to do so much more than that. And 270 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: I think it was really uncovering that it was about impact. 271 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 1: It was about creating some sense of change and doing 272 00:13:56,559 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: something with a platform instead of just saying that I 273 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: can get medals. And it was so much deeper than that. 274 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: I think once I started to go through real life experiences, 275 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: that's when it started to uncover. So it was definitely 276 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:14,959 Speaker 1: the decision to start a family and move into things 277 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: that actually matter to me, because I got to a 278 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: point in my career where it was like, Okay, I 279 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: have the medals, like I have the accolades and the accomplishments, 280 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: but I don't actually have what I've always wanted, and 281 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 1: that was to become a mother and to have a family. 282 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: So that was the moment where things really started to 283 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: shift for me. 284 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 2: After running professionally for so many years, She saw the 285 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 2: struggle other female athletes faced preparing for and experiencing motherhood 286 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 2: to starting a family was not a decision she made lightly. 287 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: I love kids. I studied elementary education and college. My 288 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: mom is an elementary school teacher, and so I grew 289 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: up around kids, and that's something I always wanted. Since 290 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: this sporting career was unexpected for me. It wasn't what 291 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 1: I set out to do. I always felt like I 292 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: had to wait. It wasn't really like somebody told me that. 293 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: I don't think anybody ever, did you know, No one 294 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: told me that. But it's what I saw, and I 295 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: saw in my sport. I saw that women waited. I 296 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: saw that the women who did have children, they really struggled. 297 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 2: Some of our most famous female athletes have been vocal 298 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 2: about their experience with motherhood. From Serena Williams. 299 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 1: I somehow managed to win, but I was so emotionally 300 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: spent and just like so emotionally drained that it was 301 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 1: it was crazy, and. 302 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 4: You know, and then like every night after that, I 303 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 4: just was with her the whole time and was like, 304 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:44,280 Speaker 4: you're gonna be with me, and I just took a 305 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 4: lot on. 306 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 2: To Kim Kleister's also a tennis player and first mother 307 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 2: to be number one in the world. 308 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 5: Was it hard being a mom and a pro at 309 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 5: the same time. 310 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 2: I would write a story about my two thousand and 311 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 2: nine US Open victory. The story would be emotional. 312 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: It was a very emotional two weeks to. 313 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 2: Beach Volleyball three time Olympic gold medalist Carrie Walsh. 314 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 6: Great question. Actually, you know, before we had our first child, 315 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 6: I was told not to do it because they're like, 316 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 6: you know. 317 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 2: You just want the Olympics. You're going to lose all 318 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 2: these endorsements. People are going to forget about you. When 319 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 2: you hold your baby. 320 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 6: It's going to hurt your shoulder. Your hipster are going 321 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 6: to be the same. Like people told me the craziest things, 322 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 6: and it kind of like you're like, whoa, you know, 323 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 6: I've never done this before, is that true? You know, 324 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 6: usually sponsorship deals are two to four years and so, 325 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 6: and I'm an Olympic athlete, so usually every four years 326 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 6: my deals go away or you know, renew them. So 327 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 6: I think I probably wasn't resigned after a couple of pregnancies, 328 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 6: but new ones came in. You know, certain brands step 329 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 6: up when the others leave, So that's just the psycho 330 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 6: of life. 331 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: I know, they struggled to reach their potential. They struggled 332 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: to stay in the sport. And it wasn't because they 333 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: weren't capable. You know, they absolutely were and they were 334 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: doing it, but those weren't the stories that were being told. 335 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 1: And so since those weren't the stories that were being 336 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: told and I never saw it being celebrated, I just 337 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: figured that, Okay, well I'm going to have to do 338 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:11,199 Speaker 1: I'm going to have to get all the metals, do 339 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 1: all the things. Before I could even think of having 340 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:16,560 Speaker 1: a family. I also saw them struggle with their sponsorship, 341 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: you know, I saw sponsorship being paused or women hiding pregnancy. 342 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:24,159 Speaker 1: So there was this whole other aspect where I was 343 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,679 Speaker 1: actually scared to start a family, and I thought that 344 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: I wasn't sure if I would be able to continue 345 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:31,880 Speaker 1: on with my career, and so I felt like that's 346 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: why I put it off so long, because I felt like, 347 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: I love my career and I want to have both, 348 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:39,360 Speaker 1: but I don't know if that's possible. 349 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:41,879 Speaker 2: The myth of being able to do it all is 350 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 2: so pervasive. As Alison talked about in her TED talk. 351 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: Sports companies love to tell women that they can have 352 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: it all, they can do it all, they can be 353 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: it all. We've all seen those inspirational ads. I had teammates, 354 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: I had friends. This is something that I had seen 355 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 1: since I was like seventeen years old when I became 356 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: a professional, and so yeah, I saw the struggle all 357 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:05,959 Speaker 1: over the place, and so it was, yeah, that was 358 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: where the fear came from. One of my best friends 359 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: that was a training partner of mine. She's about ten 360 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 1: years older than me, and so I saw her complete process, 361 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:20,200 Speaker 1: and I saw her go through all of the things. 362 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: I saw her come back from pregnancies, and I just 363 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: saw how difficult it was. And so I think it 364 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:29,440 Speaker 1: was just those real experiences in my life that really 365 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,679 Speaker 1: scared me that I possibly may not be able to 366 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:33,119 Speaker 1: do both. 367 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 2: Watching those around her struggle was just part of the problem. 368 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:40,679 Speaker 2: The athletes are paid and supported by their athletic or 369 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 2: corporate sponsors think Nike, Adidas, Puma, and in order to 370 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:47,680 Speaker 2: get those top sponsors, you have to be a top 371 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 2: performing athlete, something that might be a problem if you 372 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 2: just had a baby. 373 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,399 Speaker 1: So the way that contracts work in track and field 374 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 1: is their performance based, and so you have a contract 375 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: in you go to like an Olympics or a World 376 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 1: Championship and you get a medal, we have a world ranking, 377 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 1: you get a bonus. And so if you go and 378 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 1: you don't get a medal and you're not ranked, then 379 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 1: you get a reduction. And so what was happening for 380 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 1: women who became pregnant is that they were not able 381 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 1: to keep their salaries because they would be reduced. They 382 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 1: would have a baby and say the Olympics or World 383 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:25,879 Speaker 1: Championships was the next month or two three months later, 384 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:28,920 Speaker 1: they weren't able to compete, so they would be reduced 385 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: and reduced many times, all the way to nothing. So 386 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,399 Speaker 1: it was this very real thing where women were just 387 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,719 Speaker 1: being pushed out of the sport because financially they couldn't 388 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: continue on. Everything is pretty much performance based. There's not 389 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 1: much security in it. 390 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 2: So is that why you went to have a conversation 391 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:52,479 Speaker 2: with your sponsor as you were thinking about having a family, 392 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:54,439 Speaker 2: even before it was even a reality for you. 393 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:57,680 Speaker 1: So I had came off of a really, really great 394 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 1: performance at this time, I had been to four Olympics, 395 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 1: I had just come off of a World Championship that 396 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: made me the most decorated athlete male or female in history. 397 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: So I thought I was in a really great place. 398 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: But the conversations, even before I was pregnant or disclosed 399 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,120 Speaker 1: my pregnancy, they started off at seventy percent less than 400 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 1: what I had been making. So that just elevated my 401 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: fear to a whole new level because I was like, 402 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: if this is already here just based on I think, 403 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: you know, whether it was based on my age or 404 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 1: I think it was just kind of like they thought 405 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: I was done, you know, And so that was really hard. 406 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:36,360 Speaker 1: And so then when I did decide to start a family, 407 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 1: there was a lot of fear that even that seventy 408 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: percent would go away, because initially I didn't have anything 409 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,879 Speaker 1: on paper. And so that's why I did decide to 410 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 1: do what so many women have done before me and 411 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 1: hide my pregnancy and wait until, you know, I felt like, 412 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:53,639 Speaker 1: least if I have something on paper and then I 413 00:20:53,680 --> 00:21:03,920 Speaker 1: can go from there. And women having babies during child 414 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,400 Speaker 1: wearing years is something that should be celebrated, not punished. 415 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 1: It should be a part of a normal, thriving professional 416 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,120 Speaker 1: athletic career, and women in all fields should never feel 417 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: the need to hide a pregnancy at four am in 418 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 1: the dark so that they won't be photographed doing that 419 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: thing that they love. I just felt like if someone 420 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: got wind of something, then that would be detrimental to 421 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:30,959 Speaker 1: everything that I was trying to do. And so initially 422 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 1: the negotiations, you know, they were starting off at a 423 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:38,399 Speaker 1: really challenging place, and even after I did disclose my pregnancy, 424 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 1: it became a thing whereas like the money was going 425 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:42,439 Speaker 1: to be what the money was, and I felt like 426 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: I could handle that. It feels disrespectful, it's hard, but 427 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 1: it just is what it is. And that's when I 428 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 1: really turned my intention to asking for maternal protections. And 429 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 1: so basically I was asking for time to recover from pregnancy, 430 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 1: recover from giving birth before those performance reductions were put 431 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:06,719 Speaker 1: into play. And so that was something that was asking 432 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: not just for myself but for everyone. And what came 433 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: back to me was that I could have time, but 434 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,439 Speaker 1: they weren't ready to set that precedent for all women 435 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,719 Speaker 1: in that situation, and so that was what was just 436 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,199 Speaker 1: I wasn't able to handle. 437 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 2: So she penned a blistering op ed that ran in 438 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,119 Speaker 2: The New York Times titled quote my own Nike pregnancy story. 439 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,800 Speaker 2: I've been one of Nike's most widely marketed athletes. If 440 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 2: I can't secure maternity protections, who can welcome back? 441 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 7: Alison Felix has won get a load of the nine Olympic. 442 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:44,639 Speaker 8: Medals, making her the most decorated female track and field 443 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 8: star in US Olympic history. Well recently, Allison has gone 444 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 8: through a private struggle in May, opening up in The 445 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:54,160 Speaker 8: New York Times about the difficulty some female athletes phase 446 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 8: when it comes to maternity lead and their corporate sponsors. 447 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 8: Allison is here to discuss this, and she's got a 448 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 8: big announcement. 449 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 2: Do you remember what you were feeling when you were 450 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 2: sitting there waiting for it to publish, like you need 451 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 2: for a send, and you were just like refreshing. 452 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:11,639 Speaker 1: Yes. I was talking to my brother and he's my 453 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:15,199 Speaker 1: business partner and he was my management team. He represented me, 454 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: and so he was the one who was actually like 455 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 1: doing all the negotiating and all the contracts and everything, 456 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: and we were just like, okay, he was like, are 457 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 1: you sure, Like I'm about to like we're about to 458 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 1: do this, And it was just such a scary feeling, 459 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:29,400 Speaker 1: not knowing what was going to be on the other 460 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 1: side of that. But during the whole process. I always 461 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: talk about this, but he he really said something that 462 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:36,879 Speaker 1: I hold on to this day. He was like, you know, 463 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:40,120 Speaker 1: you can use your voice even if it shakes. And 464 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:43,960 Speaker 1: that just spoke to me because I was so scared 465 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,719 Speaker 1: and it was just such an unknown but I was like, no, 466 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,919 Speaker 1: I You're absolutely right, I can. So yeah, it was. 467 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,880 Speaker 1: It was definitely scary though I also at this time, 468 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: so this spanned a long period of time, and so 469 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: I actually ended up giving birth to my daughter during 470 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 1: this time, and I had a very complicated traumatic birth 471 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:05,720 Speaker 1: experience as well. I suffered from free clamsia and so 472 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 1: it was just a whole ordeal. And so came home 473 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: from after being in the hospital with my daughter for 474 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: about a month in the nick you and I got 475 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 1: to this place where I couldn't let it happen any longer. 476 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,920 Speaker 2: Alison is not alone in this experience. Black women are 477 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 2: three times more likely to die from a pregnancy related 478 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:29,679 Speaker 2: cause than white women. Black maternal mortality is real and 479 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 2: is experienced by black and brown women every day. Her 480 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 2: experience not only inspired her to speak out against Nike, 481 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:39,120 Speaker 2: but to fight to improve outcomes for black mothers by 482 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:41,800 Speaker 2: testifying in front of Congress about the issue. 483 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 1: Good morning, Chairman Neil, ranking Member Brady, and members of 484 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 1: the committee. My name is Alison Felix, and I am 485 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:53,040 Speaker 1: Cameron's mom. That is the title. I'm most proud of you, 486 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:55,840 Speaker 1: and now there are so many women who that's not 487 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 1: the story. And so my eyes were opened and now 488 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: you know, with a passion on my heart to just 489 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 1: do more work in this area and raise awareness. And 490 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,879 Speaker 1: so some time has passed, but your leadership on this 491 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: issue has remained constant. Having my daughter and going through 492 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: this really hard experience and looking at her, I think 493 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:18,120 Speaker 1: that gave me the courage. And then also knowing that 494 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 1: there's so many women who have suffered in silence really 495 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:25,679 Speaker 1: around this, that this was an opportunity to say that. 496 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,199 Speaker 1: You know, I'm going to come forward, and there's going 497 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:31,360 Speaker 1: to be consequences, but I think that'll it'll have impact. 498 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:33,879 Speaker 1: And it wasn't just me. There was one of my 499 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: teammates of Licia Montano, she had spoke out before. There 500 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 1: was other colleagues of mine. So I also was in 501 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:44,119 Speaker 1: a unique position because I was renegotiating my contract. So 502 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 1: for many of these women, they had signed NDA's and 503 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,360 Speaker 1: they couldn't speak about this, and so I think that's 504 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:51,440 Speaker 1: really what pushed me. I think we all were kind 505 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: of speaking out, and I decided to speak out after basically, 506 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: you know, finding out that I would have the time 507 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 1: but no one else would. And then it was about 508 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 1: a couple weeks after we came out with that OpEd 509 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: that Nike decided to change their policy and other companies 510 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,399 Speaker 1: stepped forward as well and said that they would offer 511 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 1: protection for female athletes. So after we did that, now 512 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 1: they offer eighteen months protection and things are different. 513 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,440 Speaker 2: Despite changing an entire profession with the stroke of her pen, 514 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,680 Speaker 2: Allison was still a professional athlete and needed to find 515 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:25,879 Speaker 2: a new sponsor before the next Olympics. 516 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 1: And then all of a sudden there was a meeting 517 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 1: request from Athleta and they're under the gap inc umbrella, 518 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 1: and we didn't know what was going to come of it. 519 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 1: They were just like, we've never sponsored an athlete before, 520 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: but we just want to talk to you, like we've 521 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 1: read the OpEd, and so I went into the meeting alone. 522 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: I just, you know, I was just like, let's just 523 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,919 Speaker 1: see what this is. And it was just such a 524 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: refreshing experience. Our values just aligned their mission aligned with 525 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: where I was at in life and what I wanted 526 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,360 Speaker 1: to do. They were all about just having an impact 527 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: on women and girls and creating change. Like everything that 528 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: had been through and where I wanted to put my attention, 529 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: That's what they're about. And I was just at that 530 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 1: point there was so much value beyond financial value. I 531 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: was just like, I want to have an impact on 532 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: people's lives, and so it just organically happened in that way. 533 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,120 Speaker 1: And then it was such an incredible experience just right away. 534 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:21,879 Speaker 1: It was like there was all these things that we 535 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:24,359 Speaker 1: wanted to do together, all this work. I felt like 536 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:26,480 Speaker 1: I had a real seat at the table. They allowed 537 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 1: me to see how business was done. I saw a 538 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 1: business that was female led, and I just felt empowered 539 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:37,440 Speaker 1: being there. It was not this traditional sponsorship from a company, 540 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:39,399 Speaker 1: you know. It was like they wanted to celebrate me 541 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 1: in all the different aspects of my life. They saw 542 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 1: me as an athlete, they saw me as a mother. 543 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 1: They respected the work that I wanted to do around 544 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 1: advocating for women, and they found ways to support me. 545 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:55,920 Speaker 2: I think this is such a good takeaway for people 546 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 2: that even though writing me at ed wasn't in your 547 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 2: nature you say you weren't someone who generally rocks the boat. 548 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 2: While it did close the door that you thought it 549 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 2: would close, it created a significantly better opportunity. 550 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, how many times have we all been 551 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: in a situation like that one door closes and it 552 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: feels like the end of the world. The way that 553 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:21,440 Speaker 1: it made me feel, like the way that I did 554 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 1: not feel valued and I felt just it was such 555 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 1: a dark time where I was just like, well, maybe 556 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 1: this is my worth, you know. But then it led 557 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 1: to this thing where it's like, no, I went through 558 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 1: a really dark period, but it took me absolutely to 559 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: where I'm supposed to be and with who I'm supposed 560 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: to be doing life with. And yeah, it's like going 561 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: through a hardship to get like, on the other side 562 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 1: of all that fear was so much freedom and so 563 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 1: much purpose. 564 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 2: Saying that it took you to a really dark place 565 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 2: dark How. 566 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:56,040 Speaker 1: When I think about becoming a mother and what I 567 00:28:56,120 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 1: had envisioned and imagined, my experience was vastly different from that. 568 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 1: And I think because I was going through a time 569 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: period where I was basically feeling as though I was 570 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: being told that I was not valued, that I did 571 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: not have work that I wasn't enough and so this 572 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 1: time that I felt like should have been celebrated and 573 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,480 Speaker 1: should have been so special. I spent literally training in 574 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 1: the dark. I spent wearing big, baggy clothing, barely ever 575 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:26,680 Speaker 1: leaving my home because I was scared that my employer 576 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: would find out and that I would no longer be 577 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: able to do my job. And I just think that's 578 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: so absurd and so crazy and also very very dark. 579 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: And I think also when you're bringing life into the world, 580 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 1: that's not the situation that you want to be around. 581 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: And so it was just hard to move forward. It 582 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 1: was hard to go through. It wasn't what I expected 583 00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 1: or imagined. It was really difficult. I had this plan, 584 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:55,240 Speaker 1: like of course, I'm like a master planner, like putting 585 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: all these things together, and then it's like, real life happens. 586 00:29:57,560 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 1: It's like what were you thinking? So I had this 587 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 1: and that like, Okay, I'm going to train and I'm 588 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 1: going to come back in four weeks and it's going 589 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:05,920 Speaker 1: to be amazing, and then you know, I had the 590 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:08,800 Speaker 1: traumatic birth experience and I had emergency C section and 591 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 1: like nothing when according to plan. So it was very 592 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: humbling and it just also showed me what was important, 593 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 1: because I thought what was important was like getting back 594 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 1: to running and getting back to all of that, and 595 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:25,720 Speaker 1: then going through that experience where it was like life 596 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: threatening and my child was fighting for her life. It 597 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:31,720 Speaker 1: just showed me that that was not what was important 598 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: at all, and also forced me to give myself grace 599 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: and coming back, like force me to not subscribe to 600 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: other people's timelines or so things that I saw and 601 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 1: comparing myself. It was just like, no, your path is 602 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:46,120 Speaker 1: going to be totally different, and really forced me in 603 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: that lane and I didn't take into account all of 604 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:51,120 Speaker 1: the things that happened when you give birth and just 605 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 1: when life happens, and that everyone's path is not the same. 606 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 2: That you're probably still going to be wearing a diaper 607 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 2: after a month. 608 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: Okay, that's yeah, that's the reality. That's the real. 609 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 2: That's the real to not instagram version. 610 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 1: Yes, it was just like you said, it was devastating though, 611 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: because it just made me feel like, well, what is 612 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: wrong with me? Why can I not do this thing 613 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 1: that everybody else seems to be doing. But then you 614 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,840 Speaker 1: realize that, like, okay, you get this picture perfect glimpse 615 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 1: of someone's life, and then you start to talk to 616 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: people and you start to realize, like, oh, they actually 617 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: struggled as well, and this is absolutely normal. 618 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 2: Then about a year after giving birth, she finally felt 619 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 2: like herself again. 620 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: Okay, I'm feeling like me again, and also like a 621 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,560 Speaker 1: different version of me. I think I was trying to 622 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 1: get back to like who I was, and then realizing that, like, 623 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 1: it's not who I was, it's just who I'm becoming 624 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: and who I am now. 625 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 2: I really relate to that. Feel like I still feel 626 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 2: most myself when I'm driving professionally, if I'm like really driving, 627 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 2: Like I don't as much feel like myself when I'm parenting, 628 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:01,479 Speaker 2: which I do much more of the time, and I'm 629 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 2: probably not as good at as I am professionally. I 630 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 2: feel like that is like the version of me I 631 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 2: guess that I'm getting back to. But it's funny. Someone 632 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 2: described this show or they were asking me to describe it, 633 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 2: and I said, no, it's the wrong characterization. But they 634 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 2: said that it was a show of resilience, and I 635 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,640 Speaker 2: was like, absolutely not, this is a show of being 636 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 2: different and better. 637 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 1: I love that. 638 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:25,920 Speaker 2: I feel like I really connect to what you're saying that, like, 639 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 2: I'm not going to go back to who I was before. 640 00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 2: I'm going to be different, but I have to know 641 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 2: that I can be better, like the new version of me. 642 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, and that's something I feel like we don't think 643 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: about before, that you can be better. You think like 644 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 1: I just have to get back, but no, like this 645 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 1: new version is better. You're just authentically being yourself. And 646 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 1: to me, it's just been such a beautiful experience once 647 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: kind of like realizing. 648 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 2: That, and she did go back. She set her sights 649 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 2: on her fifth Olympics, but still lacked a footwear sponsor. 650 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:02,120 Speaker 1: And so as a printer and the Olympics were approaching, 651 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 1: I got to a point where I was just frustrated 652 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 1: because it was just like, how is this possible that 653 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 1: I don't have shoes to wear in the Olympics, I 654 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 1: don't have a sponsor. So I was basically just talking 655 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:15,480 Speaker 1: to my brother about that. I was like venting to 656 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:19,400 Speaker 1: him about just how I'm so tired of like begging 657 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 1: companies to see my value, to see my worth, Like 658 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 1: how am I still at this point? And he was like, well, 659 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 1: what if we just like did it ourselves and mind you, 660 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 1: like we had just come through this like massive fight 661 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:36,720 Speaker 1: for maternal protections like that just feels very ambitious, I mean, 662 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 1: like create a company. But the more that I heard 663 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: him and I like sat on it, I was like, no, 664 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:47,000 Speaker 1: you're absolutely right. Here is an opportunity to create change, 665 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:50,200 Speaker 1: and an opportunity instead of asking somebody else to do it, 666 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 1: we can do it ourselves. And so what we thought 667 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 1: we were doing was creating shoes for me to wear 668 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 1: in the Olympics, and we thought maybe other women would 669 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:02,000 Speaker 1: want to stand with me and want to support. And 670 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: then after taking a deep dive into the industry, we 671 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,880 Speaker 1: learned that shoes haven't been made for women, and that sneakers, 672 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:11,319 Speaker 1: tennis shoes are made off of a lass that is 673 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: a mold of a man's foot, and it's been a 674 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:17,120 Speaker 1: man's foot that's been used to make women's footwear. And 675 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:19,560 Speaker 1: I just thought that was crazy. And so it became 676 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:23,120 Speaker 1: this bigger purpose to say, our shoes are going to 677 00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:25,640 Speaker 1: be created to fit the form of the female foot. 678 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:29,640 Speaker 1: Even bigger than creating shoes is that we're a company 679 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 1: that sees women and knows they're worth and value and 680 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 1: exists for that purpose. And so it's been an incredible 681 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,719 Speaker 1: just journey getting to that point and after creating the 682 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 1: company and a lot of things happened in long time period, 683 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: but we launched during Olympic trials and then at the Olympics. 684 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 1: I did make it back to my fifth Olympics and 685 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:53,960 Speaker 1: I got to compete in shoes that our company made. 686 00:34:54,040 --> 00:35:00,080 Speaker 5: Running strong of handed to Alison Felix, the veteran Well 687 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:04,879 Speaker 5: Felix bronze medal in her final open four hundred. 688 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:08,680 Speaker 2: In a quiet stadium in Tokyo, a year after the 689 00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 2: world shut down due to COVID, three years after she 690 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 2: gave birth to her daughter, and two years after fighting 691 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 2: back against Nike, she won an Olympic gold medal in 692 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:22,080 Speaker 2: her safe shoes. 693 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:25,400 Speaker 1: It was just truly a highlight and also like a 694 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:28,760 Speaker 1: full circle moment, you know, to get back to that point, 695 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:31,759 Speaker 1: to win a gold and a bronze medal in our 696 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:34,200 Speaker 1: shoes and to be a representation. 697 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 6: You know. 698 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:36,239 Speaker 1: It was the first time that I got to a 699 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:40,480 Speaker 1: starting line and I wasn't only focused on the outcome 700 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:43,720 Speaker 1: of the race. It wasn't only focused on the medal 701 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: or the time, but I was focused on like here 702 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:49,920 Speaker 1: I am as this representation to mothers and to women, 703 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 1: and basically to anybody who had been told that they 704 00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 1: couldn't do something to overcome and to be able to 705 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 1: look down and see these shoes was like the physical 706 00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:03,279 Speaker 1: embodiment of all that. I love the idea of you know, 707 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:05,439 Speaker 1: once you get through that door, you know, it's about 708 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:08,799 Speaker 1: opening the door and extending a hand and bringing someone up. 709 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:11,800 Speaker 1: And there have been so many women on this journey 710 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:14,239 Speaker 1: who have done that for me, who have supported me, 711 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:19,400 Speaker 1: who have been mentors and just have been incredibly helpful, 712 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,799 Speaker 1: And I just I love the sisterhood of it all. 713 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:25,000 Speaker 2: So, I mean, you created a company, so this was 714 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:29,080 Speaker 2: not this was not your background. You know who we're 715 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:32,440 Speaker 2: going in prepared to do, and you've created some really 716 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:35,720 Speaker 2: interesting policies in the business model that are different. 717 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:39,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, we are for and by women. We are women 718 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:43,719 Speaker 1: product designers and engineers and a very diverse group. But 719 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:46,359 Speaker 1: I think when you have women at the table, you 720 00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:48,359 Speaker 1: just do things in a more thoughtful way. And so 721 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:52,080 Speaker 1: we have a maternity returns policy where oftentimes when you 722 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:55,440 Speaker 1: become pregnant, your foot size changes, and oftentimes that can 723 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 1: be a permanent change. So if you have a pair 724 00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:00,480 Speaker 1: of our shoes in your foot size, change. We'll give 725 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:03,360 Speaker 1: you a new chew in your new size. And so 726 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:06,160 Speaker 1: it's just these ways to support women better and say 727 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:08,799 Speaker 1: that you don't have to choose and decide between being 728 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 1: a mother and anything else. And also just that we 729 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:14,960 Speaker 1: want the world to be better for women and here's 730 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 1: a way that we can do that. And I don't 731 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:20,239 Speaker 1: think that we can ask women to choose between the 732 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 1: passionate work that they do and being parents. I don't 733 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:26,600 Speaker 1: believe in that, and so it is challenging, you know, 734 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:29,200 Speaker 1: I think you have to be creative and thoughtful with 735 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:31,279 Speaker 1: the way that you're doing things. But I think that 736 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,600 Speaker 1: as I think people want to spend their money places 737 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:37,000 Speaker 1: that are doing things in a thoughtful way. And I 738 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,239 Speaker 1: just think about the way that we've been able to 739 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:42,600 Speaker 1: support mom athletes and whether it's you know, through grants 740 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:45,520 Speaker 1: or through supporting some of the childcare work, Like, there 741 00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:48,880 Speaker 1: are ways that we can do this and see women, 742 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:50,879 Speaker 1: you know, in a more holistic light. 743 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,520 Speaker 2: How do you have that conversations with investors that are 744 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:57,719 Speaker 2: so often coming in looking for like quick profit, you know, 745 00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:00,960 Speaker 2: balance the books, Like what are those conversations like, especially 746 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:04,400 Speaker 2: when women at all only get two percent of VC funding. 747 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:07,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, it was really important for us to find 748 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 1: the right investors and for that reason, I think they 749 00:38:10,640 --> 00:38:12,399 Speaker 1: have to understand, they have to get it and it's 750 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 1: not going to be for everybody. And obviously, yes, we 751 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:16,520 Speaker 1: want to scale the business quickly as well, and we 752 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:18,319 Speaker 1: want to do all those things, but we want to 753 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:19,680 Speaker 1: do it in the right way and we want to 754 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:21,880 Speaker 1: make sure we're having impact. And so for us, for 755 00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 1: our lead investor, their female led they invest in companies 756 00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:30,080 Speaker 1: with purpose and mission and so making sure that they 757 00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 1: connect with what we're trying to do. I mean that's 758 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:35,280 Speaker 1: really at the heart of it all. And GAP actually 759 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:38,720 Speaker 1: invested in our company as well, and so really finding 760 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 1: the right partners that understand. I mean, I think our 761 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:44,759 Speaker 1: outlook has to be on the big picture. We're a 762 00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:48,120 Speaker 1: company that is mission driven and so the purpose is 763 00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:51,200 Speaker 1: so much bigger than Yes, obviously we want to be successful, 764 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:54,160 Speaker 1: we want to sell shoes. We do, but I define 765 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:57,400 Speaker 1: success as also having that impact. It's not going to 766 00:38:57,440 --> 00:39:00,880 Speaker 1: be enough just to be successful on paper. I need 767 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:03,520 Speaker 1: that to also happen in the form of change, and 768 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:05,600 Speaker 1: so that's what it's all about, and it has to 769 00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:07,560 Speaker 1: be authentic, it has to be genuine and so we 770 00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:10,080 Speaker 1: start from within our company. We start from the way 771 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:12,319 Speaker 1: that we build our teams. We start from the initiatives 772 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 1: and the campaigns and the things that we're involved with 773 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:19,440 Speaker 1: in that so I think it sometimes it may take longer, 774 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:22,759 Speaker 1: but I think it's important to do things the right way. 775 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 1: And that's where we're really uncompromising. 776 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:27,359 Speaker 2: Where do you want to take it? 777 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:29,840 Speaker 1: I want to keep building, you know, I want to 778 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:33,640 Speaker 1: have more impact. I'm really excited. We have performance footwear 779 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:36,040 Speaker 1: coming next year and that's my baby, you know, That's 780 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:38,000 Speaker 1: what I want to bring to women. And so I 781 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 1: guess when I think about the future, I mean I 782 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:42,680 Speaker 1: would love to see more shoes, you know, just a 783 00:39:42,719 --> 00:39:45,839 Speaker 1: sea of shoes, and not so that we'll be just successful, 784 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:48,879 Speaker 1: but so that we'll have that impact and just that 785 00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:51,960 Speaker 1: power of the collective of women wanting to stand together 786 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:53,280 Speaker 1: and wanting to stand for change. 787 00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:57,920 Speaker 2: She's still changing. After her twenty year running career, she 788 00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:00,920 Speaker 2: decided to announce her retirement twenty two. 789 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 7: Alison Felix, who owns more Olympic medals than any US 790 00:40:05,120 --> 00:40:08,480 Speaker 7: track and field athlete in history, says she will retire 791 00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 7: after the twenty twenty two season. Her last competition likely 792 00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:15,080 Speaker 7: will be the World Championships in July, and in Instagram post, 793 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:17,400 Speaker 7: Felix said, this season is not about. 794 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:17,880 Speaker 1: Time on the clock. 795 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:20,360 Speaker 7: It is simply about joy. 796 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:23,040 Speaker 1: And I was kind of trying to juggle both, you know, 797 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,239 Speaker 1: this company and competing. And so I went to my 798 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:29,120 Speaker 1: last World Championships and I felt like I had given 799 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:31,120 Speaker 1: all I had to give, and so now I'm really 800 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:33,480 Speaker 1: excited to just be walking in this new space and 801 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:35,080 Speaker 1: still doing something different. 802 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,239 Speaker 2: During that last race, did you know that it would 803 00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 2: be your last? 804 00:40:39,719 --> 00:40:42,640 Speaker 1: I did. It was very special in that way because 805 00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:45,000 Speaker 1: I think a lot of athletes they don't get to 806 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 1: know when it's their last. I actually got to put 807 00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:49,960 Speaker 1: together this kind of final race. It was a race 808 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:53,839 Speaker 1: in my hometown, Los Angeles. We made it in partnership 809 00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:57,560 Speaker 1: with Athleta. We created kind of this We call it 810 00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:00,799 Speaker 1: the Race for Change, and it was to support mom 811 00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:04,680 Speaker 1: athletes and to raise funds to be able to provide childcare, 812 00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:06,719 Speaker 1: you know, at more events. And so it was this 813 00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:09,920 Speaker 1: very special, full circle moment where I had all my family, 814 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:12,400 Speaker 1: all my friends, just people who have been on this 815 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:15,560 Speaker 1: journey with me since the very beginning. So this very 816 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:17,839 Speaker 1: special moment to kind of close it all out. 817 00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:21,840 Speaker 2: So I asked this question of all of my guests, 818 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,560 Speaker 2: what do you think that something at the time you 819 00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:27,399 Speaker 2: saw is a real low point, but now you look 820 00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:29,800 Speaker 2: back in retrospect, it may have actually been a positive. 821 00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:34,319 Speaker 1: Oh. Absolutely. For me, it was the whole moment of 822 00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:39,320 Speaker 1: where I walked away from Nike, you know, the moment 823 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:42,279 Speaker 1: where I felt like I was losing so much and 824 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:46,480 Speaker 1: such an uncertain time, and I think I'm absolutely where 825 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:48,399 Speaker 1: I'm supposed to be now. And it was something really 826 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:51,239 Speaker 1: hard to go through, absolutely, but it brought me to 827 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:54,040 Speaker 1: purpose and to meaning into more than I could have 828 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:54,719 Speaker 1: ever imagined. 829 00:41:55,360 --> 00:41:58,560 Speaker 2: Well, Allison, thank you so much for joining us. 830 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:01,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, thank you for such thoughtful questions. 831 00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:07,920 Speaker 2: Alison continues to run Stage and is growing the company 832 00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:11,800 Speaker 2: quarter by quarter. Last spring, she raised eight million dollars 833 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:15,160 Speaker 2: for her Series A round, laying the groundwork to continue 834 00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:18,759 Speaker 2: to expand Stage into more products and markets. She still 835 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:22,360 Speaker 2: runs the company alongside her brother Wes, and is dedicated 836 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:26,480 Speaker 2: to creating a more equitable future for women. Alison changed 837 00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 2: the game. She created a pathway for more female athletes 838 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:34,280 Speaker 2: to receive fair compensation and protections, and her advocacy journey 839 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:37,479 Speaker 2: is far from over. I'm sure we'll see her pivot again. 840 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:43,400 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening. Thanks for listening to this episode of 841 00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:46,200 Speaker 2: she Pivots, where I talk with women about how their 842 00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:50,080 Speaker 2: experiences and significant personal events led to their pivot and 843 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:54,440 Speaker 2: eventually their success. Be sure to follow us on Instagram 844 00:42:54,520 --> 00:42:57,960 Speaker 2: at she pivots the podcast and leave a rating in 845 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:00,560 Speaker 2: comment if you enjoyed this episode to help others learn 846 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:03,280 Speaker 2: about it. A special thank you to our partner Marie 847 00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:07,040 Speaker 2: Claire and the team that made this episode possible. Talk 848 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:13,520 Speaker 2: to you next week. She Pivots is hosted by me 849 00:43:13,719 --> 00:43:18,520 Speaker 2: Emily Tish Sussman, produced by Emily eda Veloshik, with sound 850 00:43:18,640 --> 00:43:22,240 Speaker 2: editing and mixing from Nina Pollock, and research and planning 851 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:24,520 Speaker 2: from Christine Dickinson and Hannah Cousins. 852 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:31,279 Speaker 1: I endorse che Pivots.