I recently had the chance to hear Olympic gold medalist Steve Mesler speak — and I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect bobsledding to crash directly into my thoughts about leadership, balance, and the promo industry. But it did.
Mesler didn’t talk about winning — he talked about becoming the kind of person who can win. And that hit me. Because the same thing is true in business, in leadership, and in life: our results are a direct outcome of who we are becoming while we work toward achieving them.
One of the core ideas he shared was that everyone — Olympian, entrepreneur, distributor, supplier, student, board member — should build their life around five pillars of intentional goals:
- Work / Career
- Wealth / Financial Stability
- Relationships
- Lifestyle / Joy / Freedom
- Health / Physical & Mental Well-Being
Simple list, right? Yet when I tried to score myself across all five, I realized that I have plenty of room for improvement!
Because here’s the truth:
Like a lot of us, I tend to focus on the work pillar first, the wealth pillar second… and figured the rest happens as a result of the first two. Wrong! Spoiler: they don’t.
Mesler said something that stopped me:
“When you go, you grow. The motion changes you.”
Translation: You don’t become better and then take action — you take action, and that’s what makes you better.
He also admitted something I didn’t expect: “…even Olympians deal with imposter syndrome.”
So, if you’ve ever thought, “Who am I to lead this team?” or “Why am I starting more than I finish?” — congratulations, you’re in the same sled as a gold medalist. Slide over, we’re making room.
How this connects to the promo world
We’re in an industry full of high-energy doers. We chase deadlines, clients, orders, events, samples, inboxes, ideas — and a lot of us never stop long enough to ask:
- Are my actions aligned with the life I say I want?
- At what ” cost” is my business growing? My health? Relationships shrinking?
- Am I building habits that serve my future — or just reacting to the present?
- Do I even know what “success” looks like in all 5 pillars?
And here’s the kicker Mesler shared:
- “You don’t need perfection. You need a framework. Then you adjust.”
So, here’s mine — and maybe it becomes yours, too:
- I’m going to check myself against all 5 pillars once a month.
- I’m going to focus less on starting things and more on finishing them.
- I’m going to treat personal well-being like a strategic asset, not a luxury.
- I’m going to connect with people before I try to achieve with them.
- I’m going to make sure SAAC creates space for our members to grow the person and the business at the same time.
Because this industry isn’t just built on promo — it’s built on relationships.
People with goals. People with pressure. People trying to build a life bigger than just work.
And if a gold-medal bobsledder can admit he still works on mindset, discipline, and confidence… I can admit I do, too.
Now I’m curious:
Which of your five pillars needs the most attention this year?
Let’s grow — not just sell.
— Bob
#relationshipsmatter