Get 'All In' with Billie Jean King and Unlock the Pioneer Within
EPISODE 243
In this enlightening episode of the Moonshots Podcast, hosts Mike and Mark delve into the world of legendary tennis player and trailblazer, Billie Jean King, as they dissect her inspiring book, "All In." The episode is packed with wisdom, motivation, and insights from the remarkable life of Billie Jean King, a true pioneer of her time.
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In this enlightening episode of the Moonshots Podcast, hosts Mike and Mark delve into the world of legendary tennis player and trailblazer, Billie Jean King, as they dissect her inspiring book, "All In." The episode is packed with wisdom, motivation, and insights from the remarkable life of Billie Jean King, a true pioneer of her time.
Buy The Book on Amazon
The journey begins with a captivating INTRO, where Billie Jean King imparts one of her most profound life lessons: "Never Stop Learning." In just over two minutes, listeners are encouraged to embrace the power of continuous learning and personal growth.
Moving forward, the hosts explore BJK's invaluable advice on navigating challenges in one's career, focusing on the mantra, "Be a problem solver." In a concise two-minute and seven-second segment, the episode provides practical guidance for tackling obstacles head-on.
Next up, Billie Jean King shares her secrets to success with The Washington Post, encapsulated in the succinct phrase, "Play the game." In a two-minute and fourteen-second clip, listeners gain insights into her mindset and approach to achieving greatness.
The podcast takes a moment to reflect on Billie Jean King's thoughts about the intentionality of leadership, where she emphasizes how helping one person can positively impact the entire world. In just 15 seconds, this segment delivers a powerful message about the ripple effect of leadership.
Finally, the OUTRO of the episode is marked by Billie Jean King's reflection on her monumental accomplishments and the profound effect she's had on an entire generation. In a one-minute and six-second segment, her legacy comes to life, inspiring listeners to make their mark on the world.
Join Mike and Mark as they celebrate the life and wisdom of Billie Jean King, offering listeners a rich tapestry of inspiration, leadership, and resilience. Tune in to this episode of the Moonshots Podcast to learn how embracing challenges and leading with intention can propel you toward greatness.
Buy The Book on Amazon
Transcript
00:00:05:02 - 00:00:34:07
Unknown
Hello, and welcome to the Moonshot podcast. It's episode 243. I'm your co-host, Mike Parsons. And as always, I'm joined by the man himself, Mr. Mark Pitts and Freeland. Good morning, Mark. Hey, good morning, Mike. Good morning, listeners, subscribers, viewers and everyone in between. Mike, it's safe to say that we're in a pretty hot series right now. A lot of action on the court, a lot of brain power being used as well as energy.
00:00:34:09 - 00:01:06:25
Unknown
Are you enjoying this series on sports stars? Quite as much as I am. I'll tell you what, Mark, It feels like every show is the grand final because we are I mean, we've done Kobe, Jordan, Abby Wambach, and the list continues. And isn't it amazing the the amount that we can take from sports stars, from sports superstars, and apply them in our own lives, whether it's at home or in the office?
00:01:07:05 - 00:01:34:19
Unknown
They've got so much to teach us, don't they? Yeah, I think the consistent thread that I've certainly found so far in our series and I think this is going to continue in today's episode as well, is that journey of strength that personal strength that all these sports stars have, this growth that they go on through failures and obviously in their mindset of failures, it's, you know, defeats on the course or defeats, you know, on the tennis court or in basketball, I suppose.
00:01:34:21 - 00:01:57:06
Unknown
And even that has so much to show us, so much about resilience. So much about ownership. Owning up to whether you've practiced enough or not and whether you're ready to get into the battlefield or not. I think there's so much transferable insights that we can glean from sports stars, more so perhaps than anybody necessarily would have thought before we got into this series, wouldn't you think?
00:01:57:08 - 00:02:29:11
Unknown
Yeah, And I will build on that and say that you can hear in the voices of Abby and Serena and certainly in the voice of today's superstar, you can feel. And since the purpose and the fact that they will not give up, even in the face of bad results, of losses, of mistakes on the field or on the court, they're not giving up.
00:02:29:13 - 00:02:56:10
Unknown
And even if you look at the greatest, what we continue to learn, Mark, is there's a story of resilience themes of learning and personal growth and being prepared to say, I am not giving up. And I think that's energy that we all need and we're certainly getting it from today's show. That's right. Today, listeners and subscribers, we are diving into Billie Jean King's autobiography All In.
00:02:56:12 - 00:03:34:23
Unknown
Now, Mike, this is an individual. Billie Jean King spent six years at the top of the women's ranking of tennis in the world. Get this, 20 Wimbledon championships and 39 Grand slam titles. So this is an individual who, you know, rocketed into the public space through one of the tennis matches, Battle of the Sexes in the seventies with Bobby Riggs, but who is still demonstrating to us the ideas around, as you've just touched upon, resilience, consistency of mindset, the desire to always keep on growing and getting better.
00:03:34:25 - 00:03:56:02
Unknown
I mean, there's just so much to learn, isn't a mike. I'm just thinking about how big your shelf needs to be. If you've got 39 Grand Slams would also need to be like reinforce. These things tend to weigh a lot, right? Yeah. Yeah, I can imagine that. Pretty heavy. Maybe you need a whole outhouse, which is like a bunker which can, like, carry the weight of all of those.
00:03:56:04 - 00:04:17:14
Unknown
And the reason that we just and I think it's so good that we spend some time on Billie Jean King, because for some of our younger listeners, they might not even know who Billie Jean King is. And not only was she a pioneer on the court, she was a pioneer. Off the court, we're going to delve into that, her impact, her legacy is tremendous.
00:04:17:16 - 00:04:39:05
Unknown
So she has so much to teach us, so she's so worthy of us diving in there and sharing what we can learn from someone who was just such a great human being all round. So the question is my where do you want to start? Well, that's a great question because actually there is so much that we can learn from An individual has so many accomplishments.
00:04:39:06 - 00:04:59:21
Unknown
You know, they've she's obviously been through the highs and probably a lot of the lows. So I think right now, let's set the scene by kicking off in a classic moonshot fashion. Let's hear from Billie Jean King, who's giving a fantastic commencement speech, who's now going to provide for us one of the biggest life piece of advice that she has for us, which is all about never stopping learning.
00:04:59:23 - 00:05:37:04
Unknown
Number two, never stop learning. Several years ago, I chose to stop using the word failure, and I, I call it feedback. I don't know why. It just helps me think more positively about it because, boy, do I feel a lot better and I'm scared. This whole journey. I was scared a lot. I was fearful. But I quickly realized as a young person, especially being in sports, that every decision has a consequence.
00:05:37:06 - 00:05:56:02
Unknown
As a ball comes to me, I have a nanosecond to make up my mind about speed placement, pace. I have to take responsibility for the ball. The ball's a new opportunity. Every single ball is a new opportunity. Just like in real life. Every second is a new opportunity. And I have to make a decision, but I have to live with it.
00:05:56:04 - 00:06:28:18
Unknown
If I miss it, I take in the information. It's feedback. And the next time I get a similar shot, I try to make it right and that it's a perfect metaphor for real life. Another aspect of learning, I think, is if you can see it, you can be it. If you can see it, you can be it. I was lucky enough to see the great Althea Gibson, the first person of color to win a major championship when I was 13 years old.
00:06:28:20 - 00:06:59:05
Unknown
She's one of my sheroes and I love this woman because she'd been through so many battles. And I remember thinking to myself, That's what number one looks like. That's what it looks like. That's how good I'm going to have to be or better if I'm going to be number one. So I think it helps children to see it, to be it, or even as adults, if we can see it, it helps us to be it.
00:06:59:07 - 00:07:17:13
Unknown
That's why everyone's a role model. Every single person is a role model. I mean, we could just stop there and do the rest of the show on that one. Everybody, Gabby is, you know, everyone's a role model. I have a lot a lot of belief in that one. Right. Two, if you can. You've got to see it to believe it.
00:07:17:13 - 00:07:52:00
Unknown
Like manifesting things. And when you see what all of these amazing people have done, the fact that thirdly has said point first one of the of her of her talk and but said that I'm going to study and dwell on is this idea of there's no such thing as failure. There's only feedback. And this framing is it's kind of trivial to like call it out in a podcast when you compared to her winning 39 Grand Slams.
00:07:52:07 - 00:08:22:10
Unknown
But we'll do our best. You know. I think about that, and it really does take some courage and strength to truly take upon disappointment, maybe even a little bit of shame or failure that you feel really bad about and just reframe it as feedback, to reframe it as something you can learn from. And isn't it interesting, Mark, when we study Michael Jordan, he got cut from the high school team.
00:08:22:12 - 00:08:48:23
Unknown
When we study people like Oprah Winfrey, she got kicked off her first job because she was told she wasn't good for television. Yeah, the doctor said there wasn't much was ever going to be of Einstein. Disney got fired for a lack of imagination. And so the list continues. But this idea that everybody's just taking, that is some feedback and growing from it.
00:08:48:25 - 00:09:08:00
Unknown
Everybody saying, Well, I didn't hit the ball well that time, but I'll hit it better the next time because what do we do so much, Mark when we don't hit the ball well, we often walk away from the game itself. We might even deride the game as a defense mechanism. Well, I didn't want to play tennis anyway. Right.
00:09:08:02 - 00:09:33:25
Unknown
The truth is you want to play it, but your only self-defense mechanism is to walk away and say, Well, I don't like it anyway, it's a crap game, right? And I'm just trying to call myself out here. Something I've seen myself do is that in the face of feedback, in the face of things not going right, there's a decision to be made even before you say, what's the feedback I'm getting here?
00:09:34:05 - 00:09:52:05
Unknown
I think there's a bigger question is, am I going to use it as feedback or am I going to run away? Am I going to allowed the fear of failure, self-doubt and uncertainty? Are they going to win the game or am I going to say, You know what? I'm still alive, so I'm still in the game. I'm going to keep going.
00:09:52:10 - 00:10:18:14
Unknown
To me, that seems like the choice that we're presented with. And it's almost I reflect on my early years. I wasn't even aware of that choice. Mark I will admit that so many times I ran away just because of that fear of failure. Better not playing at all. So I don't look like an idiot, right? I mean, isn't it interesting?
00:10:18:14 - 00:10:45:17
Unknown
I wasn't truly conscious that there was a choice to say failure or feedback. That's a choice. So I think what we're getting here, if we can grab onto this, this can save us so much. Because if we can just say everything is a chance to learn or for better feedback or to refine, I mean, I even have this technique where I'm like, Well, at least I know now how not to do it, right?
00:10:45:19 - 00:11:10:11
Unknown
Well, yeah, exactly. At least if there's a million ways of doing it, I'm down to 999,999. I know. I can for sure tell you that. Why is it going to work? Yeah, I think I think that's the thing that you really notice with a lot of these sports stars, the intentionality around resilience, you know, this idea of learning in a very, very public space.
00:11:10:12 - 00:11:32:09
Unknown
You know, Billie Jean King on the World Center stage, you know, Michael Jordan, Abby Wambach, all of our individuals that we've had Kobe we've all dug into, they are learning in front of millions of people. And you're right, in my career, as well as my personal life, there's been many moments where I thought this would just be much easier if I didn't have to deal with it.
00:11:32:11 - 00:12:05:14
Unknown
So what am I going to do? I'm probably going to change the scene. I'm going to run away from it or I'm going to maybe blame someone else. Yeah, and that's very, very easy to do when you're not. Well, actually, there are sports stars that, you know, we've all probably seen where they will point the finger. They'll go behind the scenes, they'll have a chat to the cameras, but it's never quite as stylish, never quite as refined as a lot of the sports stars that we're covering here, because they have the intention ality and the admission to say, you know what, I could do better or I haven't done it well this time, yes, I
00:12:05:14 - 00:12:37:14
Unknown
will get better for them. It's that desire to grow, isn't it? Well, you know, you see this in the greatest coaches when they're interviewed after a loss and they say simply the other team was better than us today. Like, that's really powerful. Like, no excuse. And then I think the level that goes even higher than this is when, you know, the classic thing that a referee or an umpire makes a decision that's controversial and it may be dictates who is the winner and loser of the game.
00:12:37:16 - 00:13:14:09
Unknown
And the greatest coaches will say, listen, I know that that referee or umpire was doing their best. And frankly, it's not for me to say whether they're right or wrong. In the end of the day, as a team, we should never, never have let it get that close anyway. What we can control is being by a head, by a touchdown or being ahead by four or five points or a goal in soccer so that then they can't even if it is close, it's not close enough.
00:13:14:11 - 00:13:38:00
Unknown
And that for me is the highest form of self accountability when you're not going to allow yourself to say, well, that ref really missed it cost us the game, but they are still capable of saying, you know what, I should never have let it get that close anyway. We missed opportunities. We could have been two touchdowns ahead, three touchdowns ahead, so it wouldn't have mattered that last decision by the referee.
00:13:38:02 - 00:14:15:00
Unknown
It's on us for letting it be that close towards the buzzer on us. Yeah, and I think that's where sports shows us that it's about being resilient and that really, in order to be your best, you have to take everything as feedback and as a message on how you may improve. Because if you are not in that total ownership headspace, you're actually preventing personal growth because you're continually pointing the finger, blaming him, her, them, and not saying I needed to score more points.
00:14:15:02 - 00:14:38:15
Unknown
That's it. That's the only lesson in me, right? It's distracting from the idea that you are in control of how you behave has right for you as a business can control how much work you do from a competitor analysis perspective, how much research you do into your product, into the product market fit, how well you on board and recruit individuals.
00:14:38:18 - 00:14:57:23
Unknown
You know, these are all things within a business's control, within a leader's control. But when those things start getting a little bit loose, it's very easy and maybe tempting to turn around and point fingers and say, Nana, it wasn't wasn't my fault. But sometimes you do just take your eye off the ball. And obviously in sports, what happens when you lose the match?
00:14:58:00 - 00:15:21:03
Unknown
Yes. So it's much more it's kind of like a fast track, isn't it, with superstars. It's a fast track through business lessons. Yes, it really is. And it has all sorts of tenants beyond resilience and accountability. Obviously, collaboration is a huge one. You know, you know, you've got to really learn how to play as a team. And many great sportsmen and companies take a while to figure that out.
00:15:21:03 - 00:15:53:23
Unknown
And hopefully everything we're doing together on this show is finding out about these themes of learning and of collaboration, of having conversations that are constructive, of being better together. And I tell you, there are definitely a whole bunch of people making us better together, and that is our members. Mark That's right. We certainly have a whole stadium of members joining us week in, week out and supporting not only the Moonshot show but also their own desire to keep on learning out loud.
00:15:53:23 - 00:16:19:17
Unknown
So please, without further ado all welcome in Bob can Dietmar Marjan Konate Rodrigo Lazar and said Mr. Bond Yeah Paul Berg and Kalman Joe Christian Samuel, Barbara, Andre and Chris Deborah LaSalle Steve and Craig Daniel, Andrew, Ravi and Evette Karun, Raul, Nicola Ingram, Dirk and Harry, all of whom are our annual members. Thank you so much guys for once again joining us annually.
00:16:19:19 - 00:16:53:12
Unknown
Hot on those heels include Karthik, Venkat, Marco and Jet, Roger, Anna Roar, Netherland, James, Diana Wade and Christophe Dennis, Laura, Smitty and Corey Gaylor, Bertram, Danielle, Mike, Dan, Antonio, Vanessa and Zachary, Katie, Austin, Fred and our newest member friends. Thank you so much team for dialing in for joining up, for supporting and subscribing the Moonshots podcast. Well, we have not stopped being grateful to those members and it really does help us.
00:16:53:12 - 00:17:15:02
Unknown
So to our members. Thank you. And if you're a viewer or a listener, please get on to moonshots today. Hit the members button, make a small contribution. It's just a cup of coffee a month. That's all it is. And you'll help us pay our hosting bills. You'll help us pay for all of the software that we use to make this show so we can share it with you.
00:17:15:04 - 00:17:35:20
Unknown
And hopefully everything that you're learning on this show will not only help you learn, but when problems come, you'll be able to solve them too. Mark Yeah, that's right. And sometimes. Mike Challenges, problems, obstacles. They're going to come up. Let's be honest. If there's one consistent lesson we've learned, it's the problems happen whether you're on the pitch or you're in the boardroom.
00:17:35:22 - 00:18:10:18
Unknown
So now let's hear from Billie Jean King. Tell us a little bit about some advice on dealing with challenges. Number three, be a problem solver. This is huge, especially as fast as the world is moving today. The social media can kind of be nimble champions adjust or adapt always. And I mean champions in life. Sheryl Sandberg is the chief operating officer at Facebook, and in her new book, Lean In, she shares an excellent example of why it is important to be a problem solver.
00:18:10:20 - 00:18:37:03
Unknown
She interviewed a woman for a job at Facebook. The applicant was previously a senior marketing executive at eBay, where most of us would be showcasing our skills and telling them why they should hire us. And, you know, talking about herself. This person asked Sheryl, what is your biggest problem and how can I solve it? What is your biggest problem and how can I solve it?
00:18:37:05 - 00:19:03:14
Unknown
Sheryl told her recruit shooting not marketing. Recruiting was her biggest challenge. The woman never dreamed she would be working in recruiting, but she jumped in. In the end, she took a job that was a level lower than her previous job, but one that allowed her to acquire new skills. Now she is a senior executive in Human Resources at Facebook.
00:19:03:14 - 00:19:28:23
Unknown
Lori GOLER And she never wants to go back to marketing. She got in the solution and she got the job. And I know many of you will be looking for jobs as of 2010. The average american had 11 jobs from the age of 18 to 46 alone. And by the time you're in your thirties and forties, it's probably going to be in the twenties or thirties.
00:19:28:25 - 00:20:00:09
Unknown
So this definitely proves that the 21st century is going to be an exciting and unpredictable time. But it is your time. It's your time to shape the future, make sure that you define yourself and that others do not define you. I love getting after the problem. You know, the funny thing is, Mark, when I think about in my early career, I was a little bit scared to ask, What's our biggest problem?
00:20:00:09 - 00:20:29:09
Unknown
As if almost sounds a little bit sensitive. And isn't it funny how reducing things down to what is our single biggest problem? And if you can unlock what that is for your team, for your company, or even for your family, if you can find what the biggest problem is, imagine how much personal growth is in there for you to go tackle that challenge.
00:20:29:11 - 00:20:53:18
Unknown
And I tell you what, if you do your best effort, people are going to say, Wow, thank you to you for having a crack at our biggest problem. And I tell you what, Maggie, if you get a few results, people like you are amazing. You have solving our biggest single problem like it. Talk about making yourself the MVP starts with the question What is our biggest problem?
00:20:53:18 - 00:20:54:08
Unknown
Doesn't it?
00:20:54:08 - 00:21:09:17
Unknown
Mike, I think what's really great about that clip we just heard and where we were starting to see Billie Jean King take us in that first clip as well, is that whether you're in the boardroom, whether you're on the pitch, whether you're on the tennis court, there's always going to be problems and obstacles that arise.
00:21:09:19 - 00:21:33:13
Unknown
And who better to teach us about how to navigate and make those split second decisions than people who are in the forefront of the limelight when when it comes to sports, You know, if you're in an F1 cockpit, when you're on the tennis court hitting the ball back, you analyzing the spin where where's it going to go? These are physical problems that you need to physically react to.
00:21:33:15 - 00:22:15:21
Unknown
And I think there's a lot of insights that I can personally take from this when it comes to looking at the jobs that I have in my own life and the obstacles that come up. At the end of the day, it really I'm going to have to go again on a yell, Yeah, okay. Mike, I think what I'm really hearing from that clip we just listened to from Billie Jean King, as well as that first clip that introduced us in the show, is this idea of reacting to problems in a split second moment, whether you're in the cockpit of an F1 car, whether you're on the tennis court analyzing the spin of a ball, where's
00:22:15:21 - 00:22:47:05
Unknown
it going to land? Is going to be in or out of bounds. The reaction and the split second decision making that all sports stars that we've covered need to do is a real inspiration for me as I'm trying to analyze how I go out and behave in the job that I have, whether it's reacting to difficult conversations, whether it's picking up and having a crucial conversation, maybe with colleagues or a brand or a client or even colleagues, it's very much orientated around this idea of practicing, isn't it?
00:22:47:11 - 00:23:13:06
Unknown
I think the the specific, I suppose actionable elements that I'm interpreting from our sports stars here is that to be a great problem solver. Not only do you need to be in the right mindset knowing that you have the capabilities set to react in the first place, but I think also it's muscle memory, it's analyzing and preparing for those type of problems so that you know how to go out and solve it, isn't it?
00:23:13:08 - 00:23:35:19
Unknown
Yeah, And it's like Billie Jean King is saying, even she's even challenging is on top of that saying go out and search for not only problems but the big ones. And it's such a great reset because I think sometimes we're all a bit guilty of, well, that's a big problem. I'm not going anywhere near that. She's like, get in there, go after it.
00:23:35:19 - 00:24:07:20
Unknown
Yeah. And it was in front. A Yeah, yeah, why not? And I think there's a lot of truth to that. And you know, you have to build some muscle memory in order to do that. I think what we're starting to see here is it's feedback, not failure. So just keep learning, go in search of the problems. But, you know, the funny thing is that if you extend upon this, there is this idea of being so all in, which is great, because that's actually the name of her autobiography in being all in.
00:24:07:22 - 00:24:38:04
Unknown
And I think that what we see is that so many successful people are 100% pursuing their path. They're taking a growth mindset. They don't care if they don't have all the answers, they have all of the commitment and this is the commitment that is the difference, that when we face those valleys of darkness, do we keep going? Because just on the other side of the valley is the lift, right?
00:24:38:06 - 00:25:04:11
Unknown
Do we keep going or in the face of that adversity, do we give up or do we blame others, or do we kind of critique the game itself so that we feel a little bit better about failing? It is like so much about resilience. But, you know, Billie Jean King, she hasn't left it there. She's got some powerful thoughts, Mark, on really how we approach life and how we play the game, doesn't she?
00:25:04:13 - 00:25:25:03
Unknown
Yeah, that's right. Let's dive into a next clip from Billie Jean King. This time she's having a chat with Washington Post and she's got some really interesting insights, Mike, as to how to succeed and how to play the game. Women or young girls could be watching right now and wondering, okay, Billie Jean King, Billie, legendary Billie Jean King, how do you how do I do that?
00:25:25:05 - 00:25:53:25
Unknown
Okay, Here's what you think about number one. Relationships are everything, so learn to connect. You usually get your first job because of somebody you know. Okay. Connections. I mean, Jonathan, how did you get your first job? please. Yeah. I absolutely remember. I remember almost every single person who made a decision or took me under their wing that got me to where I am.
00:25:54:01 - 00:26:21:24
Unknown
I agree with you. 100% on that. Also, women follow the money just like the boys make a lot of money. Be a billionaire or a multimillionaire and then go into nonprofit. Okay. And work. Do not directly go on and on. We are taught women are taught to go in a nonprofit right away. You don't make enough money. Now, if you still want to do it, that's fine, because I think you've got to follow your heart in mind.
00:26:22:00 - 00:26:48:03
Unknown
But just think about this. We're always taught and we're encouraged. And to go into places where we make very little money. And so first of all, we need to get equal pay for equal work. That's that's major that'll help the most. But but follow the money. Think about how you can create money and how you can create what you want and know that it always goes with relationships.
00:26:48:06 - 00:27:08:00
Unknown
You know, I'll talk to artists sometimes, like in music or art, and they go, I don't want to get the business side. I just want to paint or I just want to do my music. And you'll talk to rock and roll groups like this. You have to understand the business. That's why I want athletes to understand the sports business and they don't.
00:27:08:02 - 00:27:30:05
Unknown
So it really helps. I've been on both sides of on tournaments, leagues, teams, and I'm telling you, it really it's help my leadership. When I was trying to help change women's tennis, okay, I understood both sides of the story. So understand that the business and keep learning and keep learning how to learn and also be a problem solver and an innovator.
00:27:30:07 - 00:27:58:02
Unknown
Yeah, she's really bringing it home there. My I think where she's really pushing us is when she talks about following the money. I think she's talking about creating the resource that's going to give you choices, create the the value that will give you the leverage. Right. Don't just sit on the sidelines. I wish I wish get in there, build value, create value, capture value.
00:27:58:04 - 00:28:24:20
Unknown
And then you've got an asset. And from your asset you can leverage your self forward. And so if you want to, the way I'm interpreting this is if you want to grow, if you want to be the best, then you have to jump in and play. And that means you start at the bottom of the league and then you chip your way from the bottom up to the top.
00:28:24:22 - 00:28:40:19
Unknown
And you can only do that if you get in there. And to use a sports analogy, you got to turn up to training. You got to be first to ten last to leave. You got to play hard at training and in the game, not just the game, but you've got to make that choice. You can't be half in.
00:28:40:19 - 00:29:10:10
Unknown
I think that's the other thing here. What do you what do you think about it? Yeah, I'm getting a Brené Brown aspect. You know, in order to have a point of view, you've got to get in the game. You've got to get in the arena where I'm interpreting Billie Jean King with this insight around playing the game is knowing and remembering that if you want to succeed, if you want to be a 39 Grand slam winning tennis player, just 30, you want to be one of the greatest, just 39, you know, no more, no less.
00:29:10:12 - 00:29:30:01
Unknown
If you want to be one of the greatest MVP of all time on the baseball field, on the basketball court, you need to go out and work hard at it. At the end of the day, you are not going to get to that level unless you go out and give it a go. You know, the end of the day, we are playing the game for ourselves, obviously.
00:29:30:01 - 00:29:50:12
Unknown
And there's another lesson that I think we can talk about as well with regards to getting the right people in the bus, recruiting the right team members and actually surrounding yourself with the type of mindsets that you want to gravitate around I think is quite an important one. But when it comes to playing the game, I think she's saying if you want to go out and succeed, you better get in there.
00:29:50:14 - 00:30:09:15
Unknown
And if you get in that, you're going to have to work your hardest and you're going to have to be considerate and think about how you're going to get to the place that you want to try and achieve. Because without that intentionality, without that preparation, without that insight into why you're doing something and how you're going to go out and do it and what it is that you want to go out of.
00:30:09:15 - 00:30:35:01
Unknown
Do I think you're just spinning wheels, aren't you? It's a little bit like David Goggins if you're not actively growing, what are you doing? You're staying still or your inclining? Totally. And that's kind of the lessons that I'm hearing from from this aspect, actually. It's so interesting that you connected that to Brené Brown because she does say like, be careful for being, you know, in the stands.
00:30:35:06 - 00:30:57:02
Unknown
So almost heckling those that have stepped on to and into the arena And in in in the case of Billie Jean King, she is like, you got to get in there and you got to play hard and you got to start creating value. And I think the big lesson that we always see here is there's no shortcuts, right?
00:30:57:04 - 00:31:26:16
Unknown
Yes, there are no shortcuts because we might be presented, particularly, you know, in social media with this false mirage of overnight success. But every single person we study that talks about this concept says it doesn't exist. The grind the committee meant that we see like take Michael Jordan, the goat. The truth is that everybody said he trained so hard.
00:31:26:18 - 00:31:47:06
Unknown
He was the first to training, he was the last to leave. He played harder at training than everyone else. The point that I'm trying to make here is that that is someone who's generally recognized as being amazing. And it was hard work. He was in training, he was in the game. No excuses. He wasn't the first number one draft pick.
00:31:47:06 - 00:32:11:15
Unknown
He got kicked off his basketball high school team, didn't make the cut. So this happens to Michael Jordan. So if it happens to MJ, it's going to happen to us all because he was a pretty talented guy. So playing the game, it is such a powerful lesson, isn't it? Yeah. And you know what? You've just reminded me, Mike, of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
00:32:11:21 - 00:32:35:25
Unknown
You know, this was one of his key rules for success as well. The idea of, you know, in his terminology was along the lines of playing the game, actually know who your audience are and work towards that with your common goal in mind. Yeah. So I think you're right, that application of self and this idea of knowing it's going to be a challenge, observing the journey that you're going on, maybe making adjustments as needed depending on what the game is.
00:32:36:01 - 00:32:59:14
Unknown
I think it's consistent across so many different facets, isn't it? Yeah. Well, ladies and gentlemen, the lessons from Billie Jean King, the supreme of Grand Slam winner, just a cool 39 Grand Slam. She's still got more to teach us. So what have we got so far? We got never stop learning. Love that very moonshots. Be a problem solver.
00:32:59:14 - 00:33:21:17
Unknown
In fact, get after the problem. Very moonshots. Love that as well. Play the game. Step into the arena. my gosh. She's talking our language. And now what's really interesting is we can hear her talk about she has created so much value on and off the court, what she has done to create social equality, to really shine the light on the role of women is phenomenal.
00:33:21:19 - 00:33:44:08
Unknown
But she even takes this another level, Mark. So we've got more to learn from Billie Jean King. So we just keep on finding more and more insights from Billie Jean King. So next when we've got up is all about intentionality, specifically with regards to leadership when a woman leads. People think we only lead for women. They never think of us leading for everyone.
00:33:44:10 - 00:34:04:24
Unknown
Like, Billie works on gender equity, she works on gender. This or you know, when I do something, it might be for women, but it's for everyone because when you help one person, you help the work. When you help one person, you help the world. And so what's interesting, isn't it, is that even someone who's so synonymous with fighting for women's rights, she's like, no, no, no, no, no.
00:34:04:25 - 00:34:32:22
Unknown
It's not just about that. I'm sure that's part of it. But if I'm helping someone, then I'm helping so many others around that person, around the sport, whether they are players or viewers. She's lifting the bar for all of us. Right? She's helping all of us. And it's a very interesting way of looking at because she sees it not as just fighting for one thing or the other, which is kind of tempting to get on that bandwagon.
00:34:32:25 - 00:35:14:04
Unknown
She's just like almost lifting this up to like, you know, the four agreements from Dunmow Galleria is. Yeah, right. She's taking it up that high that in the end, if you want to have legacy, you need to be putting your best foot forward. You need to be helping everyone setting example for everyone. And I think that this sense of mission, if you can find work that really speaks to you and helps others, I think we can all participate in that level of satisfaction and fulfillment when you know you're not just getting a paycheck for you, you're doing something much bigger than that.
00:35:14:04 - 00:35:38:02
Unknown
You're trying to solve problems for your colleagues, partners, clients, but you're also trying to leave the world in better shape than you found it. And I think when you find your purpose, your ikigai, right, you can actually really you can sense from Billie Jean King, she's on a mission. She's found her thing, right? She's not just fighting for women and young girls.
00:35:38:02 - 00:35:55:12
Unknown
She's fighting for all of us. And I think when you find that what's on the other side of that is an abundance of energy, of goodwill that it creates because you're working with such purpose, I know it might feel far away for all of us, but if you work on it, I think you really can have that sort of impact.
00:35:55:14 - 00:36:22:19
Unknown
What do you think, Mark? Yeah, I think it's a great reminder to us. You know, it's very easy, I think, to get bogged down in the specifics. You know, how am I beating the next grand in tennis? Am I getting my six pack in time for summer? Am I am I? Why all of these things really orientate around all kind of short term insight, doesn't it?
00:36:22:21 - 00:36:41:10
Unknown
For me, Mike, a lot of those KPIs that I have are immediate concerns or anxieties, but you forget about that bigger picture. What I really like about Billie Jean King's Grace is very gracious. She's able to take a step back and say, Yeah, well, I'm kind of associated with tennis, kind of associated with diversity, but actually it's much bigger than that.
00:36:41:12 - 00:37:05:01
Unknown
I'm here for everyone, and I think it's a wonderful reminder about how we can all take step back from the things that really upset us, the things that maybe turn us into versions of ourselves that we're not too comfortable with, maybe a little bit snappier, maybe a little bit short tempered, maybe even unpleasant. And when we do take a step back and remember and contextualize, okay, well, maybe I'm just a bit stressed about something.
00:37:05:01 - 00:37:29:09
Unknown
Maybe the Grand slam tournament is what's keeping me up at night, whatever it might be. If you remember that there is that bigger picture, there's more people on the bus with you. There's an entire world out there and to use your word, my legacy. And there's a lot about legacy that we can learn from Billie Jean King It's such a good reminder, isn't it, as to why we're doing the things that we want to do in the first place and staying true to who we are.
00:37:29:14 - 00:37:56:02
Unknown
Yeah, And I mean, this reminds me of two shows in particular, Simon Sinek. Start with Why and the Ikigai Yeah, series that we did. And if you want to learn more about those two shows, head to Moonshot Studio, grab the back catalog. And if you're really trying to figure out what your calling is, then those two shows, Ikigai and Simon Sinek, Great places to start.
00:37:56:04 - 00:38:16:10
Unknown
But I think what we are continually reminded of is if we know what we're fighting for, we're going to have so much more energy, and with that energy we can do amazing things. Maybe not in one day, but in our lifetime. And what's so fantastic is we've got the chance to already look at the impact and the legacy of Billie Jean King.
00:38:16:12 - 00:38:39:14
Unknown
So, Mark, I think this is an opportunity for us to have one more Billie Jean King clip. Look, we touched upon little bit of this idea of the lasting effects of an individual who has accomplished so much. But actually, Mike, we should really let the legend herself give us a little bit of insight around her accomplishments, the effects that she's had an entire generation and more.
00:38:39:16 - 00:39:07:18
Unknown
And also this insight around legacy at 79 years old, King says her work towards equality isn't finished yet, but tennis stars who came after her have frequently praised her immense impact and how she paved the way for their success. Two years ago, Serena Williams posted this picture with you and she said, Without Billie Jean King, I don't know if any of us female athletes would be here.
00:39:07:20 - 00:39:30:21
Unknown
Why do you think that's true? I don't know. That's I haven't thought about that. Well, Serena, people consider her an icon and a trailblazer for her to say, Are you Billie Jean King? How does that feel? It feels great, but it feels connected. And that's what I want for each generation and what way we mean it. We're connected to each other.
00:39:30:21 - 00:40:00:09
Unknown
Every generation passes the baton to the next generation. We have an opportunity to make this world a better place. And I want the players to take the lead, just like we led back in the old days. But I want them to do the same and pass the torch. Each generation. Yeah. So I think we've discovered, Mark, that this legacy question is a very powerful way to get yourself moving if you're stuck.
00:40:00:15 - 00:40:30:01
Unknown
Right. We've heard it in Steve Jobs said live every day like it's your last, which is kind of a play on this idea of how you're going to be remembered can be a very good gauge to lighten. I might need to course correct just a little bit. I feel like I'm a little bit off at the moment. It's so powerful, isn't it, when you start thinking about, well, what what legacy will be left when I'm no longer here?
00:40:30:03 - 00:40:52:17
Unknown
What what net effect am I going to have on the people in the world around me? Yeah. Look, I'm also reminded of Daniel Pink, You know, the idea of what we regret and I think that's true from the clip that we had just before, the legacy one just now from Billie Jean King. She is referring to the lasting long tale of what she's done.
00:40:52:19 - 00:41:19:04
Unknown
And I think if you were to ask Billie Jean King, you know, what's your regret in life, I don't think it would necessarily be getting a 40th Grand Slam title. Instead, I think the type of thing that she would respond is, I didn't inspire enough people. Yes. Or I didn't leave that lasting effect. And I think that's such a valid reminder Mike, particularly in this fast paced world that we're all in where immediate deliverables are needed.
00:41:19:06 - 00:41:40:04
Unknown
Again, as we've touched upon in a lot of episodes, you promised this overnight success about getting rich quick or getting those six pack abs instead. This idea of having that lasting effect can take time and what I think is a reminder for me is it's something that needs to have intention. You need to remember and be aligned with what it is that you want to go and do.
00:41:40:05 - 00:42:13:24
Unknown
You've obviously talked about Ikigai today. I think Ichigo is a great starting point and a real North star that you only really find out when you do the work. You write down. What are the things that inspire me, what can I get paid for, and so on. And I think those those reflections are when if we refer to somebody like a Daniel Pink, you're going to be maybe falling a little bit short, you know, if you haven't necessarily done obviously we've so those listeners and members who want to dig in a little bit more around reflection, we've done a whole series on journaling, which obviously we could talk about till the cows come home.
00:42:14:00 - 00:42:46:00
Unknown
But this reflection I think is really helpful for me when I talk about my legacy, when I think about what it is that I want to accomplish in my life. Any potential regrets I might have? It's through reflection and this idea, you know, particularly around sports stars, particularly around Billie Jean King, I think is prevalent because she would have considered all of these aspects, all of these deliverables, all of these behaviors that she did because she wanted to go out and achieve that legacy status, don't you think?
00:42:46:02 - 00:43:14:25
Unknown
Yeah, I think it's very powerful because you can do if I was if today was my last day, what would be my legacy? And if you're not happy with that, that can motivate you. You can ask yourself, Well, what do I want? My legacy to actually be? That's also very powerful. From a more gratitude perspective. If you were journaling, you could say, Well, who has had the biggest effect on me and the things that I've achieved?
00:43:15:01 - 00:43:39:17
Unknown
And I think I could ask yourself, what would I change in my daily life in order to have a greater legacy? And you can just use it so many ways. I find it very mobilizing rather than only dreaming about or having a vision of who you could. There's something a little bit more galvanizing when you say, How will I be remembered?
00:43:39:23 - 00:44:03:13
Unknown
Particularly when you say, if I if today was my last, how would I be remembered? And then you go, Maybe I could do a little bit a bit better on these few things, right? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think what you also find and obviously we've really noticed this, Mike, with our sports stars, I bet if you were to ask Michael Jordan about legacy again, it's not going to be down to his tournaments.
00:44:03:17 - 00:44:25:03
Unknown
It's not going to be about being voted MVP. I think it's going to be bigger than that. And I think that's a real stark and prevalent reminder, isn't it, that we are bigger than perhaps our accomplishments and instead, maybe when it comes to money driving the fastest car, living in the biggest house, sometimes that's not necessary because it's more down to behavior.
00:44:25:05 - 00:44:44:16
Unknown
Yes, it's the impression that you're leaving on other people. Yes. And look at someone who recently passed Charlie Munger, who we featured on the show a lot. What a huge legacy of thoughtfulness, humility. These are some of the things that we could only wish that the world would remember about us. So Mark, We've covered a lot of ground.
00:44:44:16 - 00:45:12:14
Unknown
We've covered some great moonshots topics, learning, solving problems, engagement, being on the road, being in the arena, helping others. What's the little homework assignment for you? Well, I mean, all of these lessons that we learned today make us so spot on when it comes to moonshots. You know, all of those areas are things that I'm trying to work on every single day, to be honest.
00:45:12:17 - 00:45:37:15
Unknown
I think the thing, though, that lines up a lot with me is that intentionality. It's the idea of framing every second as an opportunity to respond in the best possible way. So this idea of ownership, the idea of really being honest with yourself, thinking about that legacy anger and how you're going to react to a situation is something that I need to, you know, play around a little bit more and crack.
00:45:37:15 - 00:46:06:23
Unknown
I think it's not feedback. It's joy, it's not failure, it's just more feedback or a course correction tweak. Don't let it get you down, right? Yeah, because it's too easy to let other people's words or behaviors affect us. So instead just take it as fact. What about you, Mike? What's standing out for you today? I mean, never stop learning speaks to me.
00:46:06:25 - 00:46:41:02
Unknown
Going after the problem. I mean, that's a good one. Being fearless. That's the one I'll go for. Be fearless. Go after the biggest stink. He has problems and get himself. Yeah, I like it. Like Uncle Bongo. Stan, you want you to settle? Exactly. Well, Mark, thank you to you. And thank you to you, our members, viewers and listeners here for show 243 where we were certainly all in on Billie Jean King herself and our Grand Slam title run started with the idea of Never Stop Learning.
00:46:41:02 - 00:47:07:02
Unknown
And it is boy, is that a moonshots idea. Then that was followed by being a problem solver, playing the game, stepping into the arena. And remember that when you help one person, you really are helping many a very important, very important idea to remember because one thing that is only left after we're all gone is our legacy and it is legacy that can motivate us now and tomorrow to be the best version of ourselves.
00:47:07:08 - 00:47:15:16
Unknown
And, you can do that right here on the Moonshots podcast where we're learning out loud together. All right, That's a wrap.