An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.
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 Ross McGraw.
Ross McGraw is the Global VP and Head of CORE, and a former pro triathlete. CORE is a Swiss based sports tech startup who make a continuous core body temperature sensor used by top pro cyclists, triathletes and runners all over the world. The sensor allows athletes to improve performance and safety through heat training, developing cooling strategies, and testing to keep their core body temperature low as global temperatures rise.
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? What athletics did you participate in?
My journey into sports tech was largely influenced by my own experiences as an athlete. I was deeply involved in cross-country during my college years and later transitioned into triathlons as a pro and sought new challenges and ways to push my limits physically and mentally.This was actually what got me in the door with NIKE. I worked with the brand as an expert in the running space and learned marketing from one of the biggest players in sport. Ultimately, those experiences and others taught me the significance of technology in enhancing athletic performance. This realisation spurred my interest in developing solutions that could benefit athletes across different sports.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
I have to say I never expected to tell you I broke my neck mountain biking in Colorado with Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie. Luckily the investor meetings were before the ride. I’m not sure it was wise to ride 8 miles of single track to the hospital with three broken vertebrae, but it makes for a good story. The trip ended up being the ultimate trust fall, and between my coworkers and Lance’s team they got me checked out and home safe, including getting my bike packed and on the plane.
Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Discipline, passion, and adaptability are key. Discipline was critical when balancing training for triathlons with my career and family life. Passion is what drives me every day; it’s essential not only for me but for the people I choose to work with. Lastly, adaptability, which I learned from adjusting training strategies or business plans, has been vital in navigating both the highs and lows in my career.
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?
Missing the national championship race in my senior year, despite being part of the championship team, taught me about the different roles one can play in a team’s success. This experience translated into a leadership lesson in the workplace, emphasising the value of every team member’s contribution toward achieving a collective goal.
How has your experience in team dynamics within athletics influenced your approach to leadership in the workplace?
In athletics, every team member’s performance can dramatically affect the overall outcome, much like in a business setting. This understanding has shaped my leadership to ensure that everyone feels valued and integral to our collective success, fostering a more inclusive and supportive work environment.
In what ways has facing defeat or challenges in sports prepared you for handling failure and setbacks in your professional life? What role does resilience play in long term career success?
Sports taught me that defeat is merely a stepping stone to greater achievements. This mindset has helped me view professional setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth, rather than insurmountable obstacles. Resilience is everything. It’s about bouncing back from setbacks with a stronger, more determined mindset. In my career, this has meant continuously adapting and evolving to meet the ever-changing demands of the tech landscape.
How do you apply the discipline and training regimen from your athletic pursuits to your current leadership role?
Just like training for a triathlon, leading a team requires setting clear goals, maintaining discipline in execution, and being prepared to pivot and adapt strategies as needed. This disciplined approach ensures we stay on track towards our overarching objectives.
Reflecting on your journey, what specific skills or attributes developed through athletics do you believe are most essential for effective leadership?
Vision, humility, and diligence are essential. Having a clear vision guides the team, humility allows for genuine engagement and respect, and diligence ensures consistent effort towards our goals.
Based on your experience, can you please share “5 Ways That Athletics Can Help Train Great Leaders?”
- Athletics teaches discipline to an otherworldly level.
- Story: When I was training for my first Ironman triathlon, the rigorous schedule required waking up before dawn for swims, followed by long bike rides and runs, all while managing my job responsibilities. This extreme discipline not only improved my physical endurance but also enhanced my ability to manage time and prioritise tasks effectively in my professional life.
2. Resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.
- Story: During a national cross-country meet in college, I twisted my ankle badly in the first mile of the race. Despite the pain, I pushed through to finish, which taught me a lot about resilience. This experience was invaluable later when facing critical deadlines and challenges at work; it reminded me that persistence can often lead to overcoming obstacles that initially seem too great to handle.
3. Recognizing that every win is a team effort.
- Story: In the same national meet, our team won not because of any single outstanding performance but because each runner finished strong enough to score crucial points. This has directly influenced how I manage my team at work, emphasising that each contribution, no matter how small, is vital to our overall success.
4. Adaptability in strategy and tactics.
- Story: Halfway through a season, our coach changed our training regimen based on our performance metrics, which initially disrupted my comfort but eventually led to personal bests. This taught me the importance of being flexible and adaptable in business strategies, especially in a fast-changing tech environment, where shifting strategies can be crucial for staying ahead.
5. Cultivating a vision and inspiring others to follow.
- Story: As captain of my college team, I had to inspire a vision of winning the championship, even when it seemed far-fetched. By setting clear, achievable goals and maintaining enthusiasm, I learned how to motivate others. Applying this in my leadership role has helped me to rally my team around new projects and visions, ensuring that everyone is aligned and motivated towards common goals.
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 focus on enhancing global access to sports and physical education. Engaging in sports from a young age not only promotes physical health but also instils a sense of discipline, teamwork, and fairness — qualities that are invaluable throughout life.
How can our readers further follow you online?
I’m on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossmcgraw/
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.
Ross McGraw of CORE: 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.