PEOPLE & CULTURE  /  SME

By FedEx | March 20, 2026

From beating burnout to building a powerful brand, Olympic champions Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu demonstrate unusual ways of thinking, training, and competing that can transform how businesses tackle challenges.

• Athletes and entrepreneurs share many challenges, such as building a following and driving consistent growth. 
• As elite athletes, Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu have developed success mindsets that translate well from Olympic sports to the business arena.
• By applying their tried-and-tested strategies, business leaders can discover fresh ways to stand out and innovate in a competitive market.

While top athletes and business leaders compete in different arenas, they face surprisingly similar demands. Both must thrive in high-pressure environments, bounce back from failure, and raise the bar of excellence year after year.

The rise of social media has also reshaped how both build followings. Just as today’s fans expect athletes to share authentic content about their personal lives, customers expect businesses to come across as human and foster genuine relationships. It’s no longer enough for athletes to simply perform, or for companies to merely provide products and services. To truly stand out, they need to build a strong brand that connects with audiences.

There’s no doubt that Olympic champions Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu excel at juggling – and surpassing – these challenges. If you’ve watched the 2026 Winter Olympics (and even if you haven’t), you’ve likely been captivated by these superstar athletes.

With six medals, Eileen Gu is currently the most decorated freestyle skier in Olympic history. Meanwhile, figure skater Alysa Liu has just become the first American woman since 2002 to win Olympic gold in the singles event.

But it’s not only their achievements that have won them the world’s attention. Both are rewriting conventional approaches to success by boldly defining new ways to compete and connect. Their sporting journeys offer lessons that apply as much to entrepreneurs as to athletes, providing valuable insights for navigating today’s business challenges.

1. A memorable brand starts with an authentic voice

In a saturated market, brands often struggle to differentiate themselves. Many startups fall into the trap of imitation by striving to become ‘the next Uber’ or ‘the next ChatGPT’. The challenge is just as urgent for established businesses: up to 75% of leading global brands have lost their distinct voice over the last decade.

If there’s one word that doesn’t describe Eileen Gu and Alysa Liu, it’s ‘forgettable’. Eileen has made waves as both an athlete and a model, blending high fashion with her presence in competitive freeskiing, a sport where male athletes have historically been more prominent. Similarly, Alysa bucks the typical figure skater aesthetic with her iconic halo hair and gum piercing.

The X factor that makes them memorable isn’t just appearance – it’s their authenticity. Both Olympic athletes have learned to reject limiting conventions and showcase their genuine selves.

In a Red Bull interview, Eileen shared that she had felt pressure to conform to certain norms in the skiing world. “The fashion industry has opened my eyes to so much,” she said. “You don’t have to compromise on how you look, how you express yourself or your sense of style while being in an extreme sport or being in any male-dominated space.”

Likewise, Alysa ensures every performance she gives reflects her own style by taking ownership of each detail. Rather than relying entirely on external direction, she is known for making independent choices about her training, routines, and artistic presentation. Her advice to other skaters? “Don’t try to be the next me.” Instead, she aims to inspire others to discover their authentic selves.

What businesses can learn: To be memorable, businesses need to showcase their brand's unique voice and identity. Why does your business exist beyond profit? Challenge any factors that may be holding you back from expressing your distinct brand personality, such as corporate norms and industry conventions. Think of ways to bring this personality to life across every customer interaction, from product descriptions to social media posts.

2. Embrace risks as a path to innovation

Watching Eileen and Alysa pull off death-defying spins and jumps, what stands out most is their fearless energy. Even when competing on the world’s most high-stakes sporting stage, they don’t hesitate to push the boundaries of what’s possible rather than playing it safe.

Alysa welcomes mistakes as part of pushing her limits. “I love making mistakes. I love falling,” she shared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. “I also love landing and doing really well, so I feel like no matter what the outcome was, I was going to be cool with it.”

Eileen, too, has no qualms about taking risks with an Olympic medal on the line. At the 2022 Winter Olympics, she pulled off a challenging trick she had never attempted in practice: a double cork 1620, which requires four-and-a-half rotations in midair while rotating twice off-axis. The feat secured her first Olympic gold in freeski big air.

“My whole thing was, it’s all upside,” Eileen told TIME. “Because if I land, I will win the Olympics. If I don’t land, then I get to make history as the first person to ever try this trick in such a situation.”

By embracing mistakes as opportunities for growth, both athletes have become trailblazers in their fields. This growth mindset is just as essential for business innovation. To avoid falling behind competitors, businesses must foster a culture that encourages risk-taking – even in high-stakes situations.

What businesses can learn: Risk-averse teams often spend too much time analyzing every detail and scrutinizing every possible outcome. It’s important to shift the mindset from avoiding failure to embracing a ‘fail fast, learn fast’ approach. Look for low-cost ways to test ideas early on, such as sandbox environments and customer focus groups. This enables you to get feedback and refine ideas quickly.

3. Focus on the journey, not just the results

KPIs are part and parcel of running a business, whether it’s financial metrics like gross profit margin or customer metrics such as retention rate. Yet, focusing exclusively on hard numbers can be dangerous. It’s easy to lose sight of less quantifiable factors that are just as crucial to success – such as your team’s wellbeing and your sense of purpose.

Alysa can attest to that. Having trained intensively since she was five, she became the youngest US women’s figure skating champion at age 13 and placed sixth in the 2022 Winter Olympics at age 16. But a childhood spent chasing achievements left her burned out. “She was still giving 100%, but there wasn’t any purpose behind it,” her coach Phillip DiGuglielmo recounted. Months after the 2022 Games, she quit the sport.

Today, Alysa has captured global attention by emphasizing that she prioritizes process over results. Rather than training solely to win an Olympic medal, she skates to express her artistry. This focus on passion and enjoyment kept her feeling “calm, happy, and confident” while performing at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The results speak for themselves: beyond clinching a gold medal, she has won a global following.

Like Alysa, Eileen is redefining success by prioritizing experiences over outcomes. Asked whether she views her 2026 Olympics achievements as “two silvers gained or two golds lost”, her now-viral response reflects this mindset. “Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete,” she said. “I’m showcasing my best skiing. I’m doing things that, quite literally, have never been done before, and so I think that is more than good enough.”

What businesses can learn: Alysa and Eileen’s success highlights the power of focusing on internal motivation over external metrics. It’s crucial to prioritize purpose and progress alongside outcomes.

Start by identifying key behaviors that align with your organization’s long-term growth, such as continuous learning, embracing challenges, and creative problem-solving. Consistently recognize and reward team members when they demonstrate these behaviors.

4. Vulnerability creates powerful connections

It’s hard to be vulnerable – and even more uncomfortable when you’re a business owner under public scrutiny. Yet in the age of AI, when customers are increasingly wary of generic or impersonal messaging, businesses must connect on a human level to win loyalty and trust. Globally, 88% of consumers say trust is critical when purchasing from brands, ranking it on par with quality and value for money.

To embrace vulnerability effectively, businesses can take a page out of Eileen Gu’s playbook. Despite her glamorous image – from major brand partnerships to red-carpet appearances – Eileen has spoken candidly about her mental health struggles. In a TIME interview, she described a period of depression following the 2022 Olympics. “I always wanted to leave no matter what situation I was in,” she said. “I never felt like I was where I was meant to be.”

Eileen draws on these experiences to support others, using vulnerability to build community. For example, she has conducted online Q&A sessions to share advice on resilience, her sporting journey, and more. “I try to be open with them,” she explained. “It’s important that people see the full picture of who I am right now.”

Vulnerability is also powerful when it helps others unlock new perspectives. Alysa Liu, in particular, has a knack for reframing her struggles into strengths.

By speaking openly about her ADHD diagnosis, she has helped to raise awareness of neurodivergence. In fact, she credits her ADHD with helping her recover quickly from mistakes, such as a stumble during her free skate at the 2025 Cup of China.

“I have ADHD, and I love situations that I’m not expecting,” she told ESPN. “It gives me a dopamine rush… I had to think ‘What next? I have to add a combo here and here.’” Her perspective reframes neurodivergence as a strength rather than a limitation, making her a role model who inspires trust.

What businesses can learn: Think about how your struggles or mistakes can meaningfully connect with your audience. For example, your business might be grappling with rising costs. You could share how this is driving your team to innovate, or communicate openly about the changes you’re making while inviting customer feedback.

5. Switch off and step away

Startup founders and small business owners often find themselves working through meals, weekends, and late into the night. But downtime shouldn’t be a luxury – it’s crucial for boosting productivity and creativity.

After burnout drove Alysa to retire, she was finally able to learn more about her passions – gaming, anime, spending time with friends – and rediscover her love for skating. Without taking time off, she might never have developed the unique style and renewed passion that have made her a global icon.

“I love exploring other hobbies, doing side-quests and what not,” she shared in a Guardian interview. “It keeps me curious, and I’m protecting that.”

For Eileen, pursuing interests outside of skiing has not only protected her from burnout but also enriched her athletic training in unexpected ways. “The fact that I do so many different things is what keeps it interesting,” she says.

One of Eileen’s current pursuits is studying at Stanford University, where she has taken classes in quantum physics. She draws on her physics knowledge to break down her freeski tricks in technical detail, analyzing factors like momentum and axis rotation to hone her skills.

What businesses can learn: Just like these Olympic athletes, business leaders need to carve out time from the daily grind to rest and recharge. Immerse yourself in activities that inspire you, whether it’s exercise or family time.

Strategic delegation is key to making time for other pursuits. Empower your team with the right data and training to make decisions independently, and consider outsourcing or automating routine processes. For example, e-commerce businesses can use digital shipping tools to prepare shipments and paperwork from online orders in just a few clicks.

Going for gold in the business arena

Today’s business leaders manage pressures that are just as demanding as those faced by top athletes. To carve out a competitive advantage, entrepreneurs need to explore fresh ways to stand out and engage with customers.

Olympic athletes Eileen Gu and Alysa Liu model resilient mindsets that are adapted to the modern world – and their approaches are propelling them to the top of their game. Business owners who add these strategies to their toolkit can become better equipped to perform under pressure.