An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Planning and preparation in athletics cultivate essential traits and skills that translate well into many areas of business leadership. Athletes, through meticulous planning and preparation for competitions, develop a keen sense of goal setting, strategic thinking, and time management. They learn to adapt to unforeseen challenges, fostering resilience and the ability to make quick decisions under pressure. These traits are vital for leaders to have.
The world of sports is not just about physical prowess or competition; it’s an incubator for leadership qualities such as discipline, teamwork, strategic planning, and resilience. Athletes, from amateur levels to professional arenas, often encounter situations that test their limits and require them to step up in ways that mirror the challenges faced by leaders in various fields. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Steven Pivnik.
Steven Pivnik is an international keynote speaker, best-selling author, business advisor, and serial entrepreneur specializing in the Information Technology market. He grew his last company, Binary Tree, to over 200 employees across twelve countries before a successful exit to a 4-billion-dollar competitor, Quest Software. As a trusted business advisor, with https://aipadvisory.com/ , Steven partners with leaders on how to achieve similar business success and perseverance in their entrepreneurial journey.
Steven’s endurance sports experience gives him an unparalleled perspective on what it takes to overcome challenges and achieve remarkable success. After completing over 20 triathlons, he has competed in the IRONMAN World Championship, numerous ultra-marathons and is on his way to summit the tallest peaks on each continent including Mt. Everest. His blend of practical business advice and inspirational storytelling leaves audiences energized and motivated to go the distance in business and in life.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career in athletics?
When I was turning 40, my family history started weighing heavily on me. My grandparents and parents had it all. High blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, high cholesterol, and strokes. I wanted to start doing my best to avoid some of these and if I was going to be faced with battling any of this, I wanted to make sure I would be in great physical and mental shape for the challenge. I took on Triathlons and other endurance sports as my vehicle to get into and stay in great shape.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
In the 11th hour of due diligence to be acquired by what is today called a SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) I pulled the plug on this deal because it just didn’t seem right. The deal was very lucrative, but only on paper. I decided that I wasn’t going to give up complete control of my company for paper riches. Two months later, another company approached us and wanted to buy the professional services division of my company. This turned out to be a better deal than the previous one. When one door closes another one opens.
Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Resilience: Business was always full of challenges, setbacks, and unexpected obstacles. 9–11 was a particularly tough time for our business resulting in us not having access to our downtown Manhattan office for an extended amount of time. We became a virtual company overnight and never looked back.
Adaptability: The market we were in continuously changed. The biggest change occurred when IBM, who was the enterprise email market leader, started losing market share to Microsoft. We had to make a really tough decision to pivot our alliance from one industry, behemoth with whom we had a great relationship, to new unchartered waters. We did so and had great business results.
Competitiveness: Bringing on new customers very often involved getting into competitive situations. While it sometimes eroded profit margins, we showed great flexibility and were willing to customize our products to show that we were better than our competition. This almost always lead to wins against much larger companies in the same space.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a pivotal moment in your athletic career that taught you a leadership lesson you’ve applied outside of sports?
After a couple of years of training and racing I became enamored with all the charts and reports I got from TrainingPeaks and Strava. These are two popular training apps that report on data collected by a sports watch. I realized that I had more data on my personal endurance performance than I did on my business. I went KPI crazy at work. I met with every department head, and we came up with a set of charts and reports that they would produce monthly. This helped my business grow tremendously.
Instead of the usual status update meetings, we instituted a monthly operating review meeting where decisions were made based on real data, real numbers, and trends. This also created a friendly competition amongst departments as no one wanted to come to the meeting with their numbers going in the wrong direction.
How has your experience in team dynamics within athletics influenced your approach to leadership in the workplace?
My team saw that I was accomplishing great feats personally and that I was serious about our large goals at work. I shared the effort that went into my training, and they also saw the work ethic that I exhibited in the office. This paved for the way for similar efforts and ethics to permeate throughout our culture.
In what ways has facing defeat or challenges in sports prepared you for handling failure and setbacks in your professional life?
I kept signing up for longer and harder races personally and brought that same mentality to the office. When races didn’t go as planned, I dusted myself off, took at the lessons learned, and signed up to try the same race again the following year. This led to a similar approach at work. We would set and go after large goals. We celebrated the accomplishments but also learned a lot from our failures.
How do you apply the discipline and training regimen from your athletic pursuits to your current leadership role?
I believe that how you appear somewhere is how you appear everywhere. I have incredible discipline to train as much as needed for upcoming events. I apply that same discipline to any current business project that I’m working on. You need to put in the effort, in order for the results to be optimal.
Reflecting on your journey, what specific skills or attributes developed through athletics do you believe are most essential for effective leadership?
Planning, preparation, execution, dealing with setbacks, being able to pivot, stamina and determination.
Based on your experience, can you please share “5 Ways That Athletics Can Help Train Great Leaders?”
1 & 2. Planning and preparation in athletics cultivate essential traits and skills that translate well into many areas of business leadership. Athletes, through meticulous planning and preparation for competitions, develop a keen sense of goal setting, strategic thinking, and time management. They learn to adapt to unforeseen challenges, fostering resilience and the ability to make quick decisions under pressure. These traits are vital for leaders to have.
3 & 4. Also, stamina and determination in athletics are invaluable assets that create resilient and tenacious business leaders. Athletes endure rigorous training regimens, pushing their physical limits to build endurance and mental toughness. This endurance translates directly into the business arena, where leaders must weather long hours, demanding challenges, and relentless competition. Moreover, the unwavering determination required to overcome setbacks and achieve athletic goals instills a mindset of perseverance crucial for navigating the inevitable hurdles in the corporate world. Whether facing daunting deadlines, market downturns, or setbacks in business ventures, leaders with a foundation in athletics draw upon their reservoirs of stamina and determination to stay focused, adapt to adversity, and relentlessly pursue success. preparation.
5 . Lastly, the ability to pivot in athletics serves as a great training ground for cultivating agile and adaptable business leaders. Athletes encounter myriad situations where they must swiftly adjust their strategies and tactics in response to changing conditions and unexpected setbacks. This agility fosters a mindset of flexibility and openness to new ideas, crucial qualities for navigating the dynamic landscape of business. Much like athletes pivot their game plans to capitalize on emerging opportunities or mitigate risks, business leaders must pivot their organizational strategies to stay ahead in rapidly evolving markets, technological advancements, and shifting customer preferences. Those versed in the art of pivoting possess the resilience to embrace change, the creativity to innovate in response to challenges, and the foresight to seize new opportunities.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would start a movement based on my book titled “Built to Finish”. It would inspire individuals to set audacious goals and see them through to fruition. In a world filled with distractions and obstacles, the ethos of “Built to Finish” would emphasize the importance of relentless determination, unwavering commitment, and strategic planning in achieving monumental feats. This movement would aim to empower people to dream big, break down their aspirations into actionable steps, and persistently pursue their objectives, regardless of the challenges they may face along the way. By fostering a culture of accountability, resilience, and mutual support, “Built to Finish” would encourage individuals to push beyond their comfort zones, harness their full potential, and unlock the satisfaction of realizing their most ambitious dreams.
At the heart of the “Built to Finish” movement would lie the belief that every person possesses the inherent capability to overcome obstacles and achieve greatness. Whether it’s launching a startup, running a marathon, writing a novel, or making a meaningful impact in their community, “Built to Finish” would champion the power of perseverance and the fulfillment that comes from seeing monumental goals come to fruition. Through storytelling, mentorship, and community engagement, this movement would seek to inspire a generation of goal-getters who refuse to settle for mediocrity and instead strive to leave a lasting legacy of accomplishment. With “Built to Finish” as their guiding philosophy, individuals would tap into their inner resilience, chart their own paths to success, and make their boldest aspirations a reality.
How can our readers further follow you online?
You can follow my adventure blog on https://stevenpivnik.com/blog
You can follow me on LinkedIn via https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenpivnik/
I also post regularly on Instagram … https://www.instagram.com/steven.pivnik/ I will be posting many updates on my journey to Summit Mt. Everest in May of next year.
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
Steven Pivnik Of AIP Advisory: How My Experience in Athletics Trained Me to Become a Better Leader was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.