Hello friends!

Last week marked four years since the day I turned in my badge at Nike and walked away from an amazing career and teammates.

I miss plenty of things about Nike. A non-exhaustive list: the brilliant people I got to work with and learn from, the inspiring projects and products I got to pour my efforts into, and the ability to pop out of a meeting and walk into the gym next door to shoot hoops. I’m so grateful for my 10+ years!

For the last week or so I’ve been reflecting about my professional journey since I left and I want to be super transparent and honest with you…

It’s been a mixed bag. There have been some highs and there have been some low lows.

I left Nike with ambition for what I thought would be a robust consulting career, and there has for sure been some of that. I praise the Lord for the opportunities that have come my way.

But whatever you have seen from me on the internet or read about here is only a snapshot of the way life is.

The last four years have been filled with hard stuff.

Which brings me to an obvious, but important truth for me and all of us…

Every single person is dealing with ups and downs in their lives.

It’s easy to think that because I left Nike - or because you made some specific choice in your life - that it has led to there being ups and downs. Of course our choices impact us - but no matter what we choose to do there are going to be ups and downs in it.

In fact, my friends who are still at Nike just had another layoff announcement. It reminds me that no matter what decision I make is going to be filled with ups and downs.

And while the highs and lows are different for all of us, everyone is having to figure out how to navigate the ups and downs.

It’s true for each and every one of us. Hard things will come, unfortunately.

I keep noticing this theme in the Bible too as we've been reading through the book of Acts during church. Over and over throughout Acts there are some really amazing moments and beautiful things happening, and then some crazy, discouraging things that follow. So even thousands of years ago there was a blend of the good stuff and the hard stuff.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WIN?

This breeds a really important question.

If life is going to be full of ups and downs - no matter what choices we make - then how are we supposed to respond?

Do any of our choices even matter?

Obviously, I believe they do. But acknowledging that hard things coming our way shouldn’t be what guides whether or not our choices are viewed as successful in our lives.

Which all brings me back to the most important thing I learned at Nike all those years ago: Winning is subjective.

Everyone defines success differently, but we also all get the chance to define it for ourselves.

So, here’s my question for you…

Are you clear on what it means to win in your life?

And is that definition of winning irrelevant to the ups or the downs that come your way professionally?

Because the ups and downs of professional life can give false readings about success - for better or for worse.

THE CONSTANT IN THE MIDST: RELATIONSHIPS

THE CONSTANT IN THE MIDST: RELATIONSHIPS

As I’ve reflected on the last four years, there is one constant in my life regardless if I would have left Nike or not: my most important relationships.

My relationship with God, myself, Erin, my boys, and my other core family and friends, were all going to exist at Nike or after leaving Nike - and whether or not my work was really difficult or really amazing.

And thus, the quality and status of those relationships can be a guide for whether or not I’m actually winning.

Since winning is subjective, your relationships and your definition of success will obviously be different than mine.

But my biggest encouragement after leaving behind an incredible career and reflecting on how the time has been since is this: Don’t let the ups and downs professionally be the complete definition of your success.

Your most important relationships will be the constant whether you are professionally thriving or just scraping by - so don’t wait to pursue winning in those relationships.

The ups and downs of our work will bring what they may, but we get the chance to succeed in our most important relationships in the midst.

Rooting for you,

JO

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PS: If you would like to help me out on the book front, the biggest thing I need right now are reviews on Amazon. ❤️

If you haven't gotten a copy and are still willing, here's the best ways: ​Hardcover and Paperback, ​​Kindle, & ​Barnes and Noble.

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