What Mom Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Elite Athletes (because you're both high performers)
Feb 19, 2026
What sports performance psychology can teach us about motherhood, business, and resilience
This week on the podcast, I sat down with Dr. Amy Athey, and I knew going into the conversation that it was going to stretch the way many of us think about performance.
At first glance, sports performance psychology might feel like it lives in a different world — elite athletes, Navy SEALs, high-pressure corporate environments. But very quickly, it became clear that this work applies just as much to the women listening to this show.
If you are building a business.
If you are raising children.
If you are choosing growth, responsibility, or leadership in any form.
You are already in the game.
High performance isn’t about one perfect moment
One of the most powerful ideas Dr. Amy shared is that high performance isn’t defined by a single big win.
What made athletes like Michael Jordan great wasn’t one incredible game — it was their ability to perform consistently over time, even when conditions weren’t perfect.
That matters for us.
Most days in business and motherhood don’t look like highlight reels. They look like showing up with 80% in the tank and still needing to make decisions, have conversations, and move things forward.
High performance is about learning how to show up for many moments that matter, not chasing perfection in one.
The foundations that support sustainable performance
Dr. Amy outlined five foundations she sees consistently in elite performers across sport, military, and business — and these apply directly to entrepreneurial mothers:
1. Mindset
How you interpret what’s in front of you matters.
Challenge vs. threat is often the difference between growth and shutdown.
2. Reflection
Not just thinking about what happened — but actually adjusting based on what you learn. Without action, reflection becomes mental noise.
3. Connection
Connection to yourself, to others, and to something bigger than you. Isolation makes everything harder.
4. Motivation and energy
Sustaining motivation over time requires intentional fueling — not just willpower.
5. Self-compassion
Every elite performer struggles with doubt. Compassion isn’t weakness — it’s a stabilizer.
Without these foundations, performance becomes harder to sustain, especially when life gets unpredictable.
Why nervous system regulation matters more than discipline
We also talked a lot about something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention in business spaces: nervous system regulation.
So much advice focuses on discipline and pushing through. But when your nervous system is dysregulated — when you’re anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally activated — clear thinking and good decision-making are harder to access.
Dr. Amy shared two simple tools anyone can use in the moment:
- Breathwork: a long, intentional exhale first, followed by a slow inhale, repeated several times to regulate emotional energy.
- Refocusing: asking yourself, “What’s important now?” to bring attention back to what actually matters in that moment.
These are small tools, but they create space between reaction and response — and that space is where better decisions happen.
The voice in your head is your coach
One of my favourite parts of the conversation was Dr. Amy’s concept of the inner coach.
Most of us have an internal dialogue running all day long — and for many women, it’s harsh, critical, or unhelpful.
Dr. Amy suggests asking:
- If I had an ideal coach, how would they speak to me?
- Would they be supportive, motivational, challenging, instructional — or some combination?
Then comes the real question:
Is that how I’m talking to myself?
Just like in sport, not all coaches are effective. And sometimes, the one in your head needs retraining — or replacing.
No one performs at a high level alone
Another important reminder: elite performers don’t succeed solo.
Athletes have coaches, specialists, and support teams. Entrepreneurs and mothers need the same — whether that’s community, mentorship, professional coaching, or trusted peers.
Trying to do everything alone doesn’t make you strong.
It just makes the load heavier.
You are already in the game
If there’s one thing I hope you take from this episode, it’s this:
You don’t need to earn the label of “high performer.”
If you’re here — building, parenting, growing, choosing responsibility — you already are one.
The work now is learning how to support yourself so you can keep showing up, not just once, but over time.
Because the moments that matter will keep coming.
And you deserve to feel ready for them.
