By Jeanine Hage
Have I told you about the day I went parasailing? Picture this – I'm not typically the one to dive headfirst into extreme sports. But there I was, on vacation, the calming waves of the beach at my back, thinking, "Why not?"
As I was whisked away on the back of a wave runner to a boat stationed in the middle of the ocean, the crew welcomed me with a big smile, assuring me of the incredible experience that awaited. While the crew member began explaining the activity’s working to me and securing me to the mechanism, my anxiety started to build. As my nerves were throwing a wild house party, the rope began to roll, raising me higher until I found myself hundreds of feet above the vast ocean below.
Not having much of a choice at this point and with my options severely limited if I want to keep face, I tried to unwind by taking deep breaths and embracing the experience. And this is where my mind decided to take a stroll. The entrepreneur within me couldn’t resist the usual exercise of drawing parallels between our unconventional lifestyle choice and the daring pursuits of extreme sports. As I surrendered to the thrill of soaring above the ocean, I couldn't help but wonder. Is entrepreneurship an extreme sport, a regular one, or perhaps a mix of both?
I've always been one to find connections between entrepreneurship and regular sports.
Wayne Gretzky's wisdom of skating where the puck is going and not where the puck has been, which in our realm translates into following the market's trajectory to innovate.
Lionel Messi's relentless pursuit of shooting at the goal, only to score a handful but phenomenal ones – these principles resonate.
Michael Jordan's wisdom on redefining failure and setbacks comes to mind, "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
Entrepreneurship, much like an extreme sport, demands being up there, where trust is paramount. It was the first crucial aspect that emerged, essential to me for navigating this experience with, you know, some sort of elegance. Trust the rope, trust the captain navigating the boat, trust the person who secured me to the mechanism.
I also had my brain stuck on a rerun playing these words to myself: "Don't look down. Don't look back. Look straight ahead at the horizon, and you'll fly steadily and higher." How you look, how you move, how you react to the winds of the unknown – these elements mirror the challenges of both endeavors.
And then, the inevitable: Let go.
As I found myself questioning, "What am I doing? Why?"— echoing the sentiments of my 10-year-old son who deemed folks seriously, um, “unwise" for engaging in such an activity — I realized that perhaps the essence of both extreme sports and entrepreneurship lies in embracing the unknown and thriving in challenging and high-stakes environments.
After all, it's in those moments of uncertainty that we often discover the true thrill of flying higher than we ever imagined.