5 Things I Learned from Roller Derby
As some of you might know, I co-founded and used to skate with the Windy City Rollers, an all-women’s roller derby league here in Chicago. And, even though I got married, moved to the suburbs and had kids, the team is still going strong, enjoying packed stadiums and traveling the country in search of its first National Championship.
During the few years that I was actively involved in the league, I learned A LOT. So I had a brainstorm yesterday, and decided to see how I could apply the myriad lessons that I learned into something that you might find useful. Here goes.
1. Size Doesn’t Matter.—In this game, the small and the tall can dominate. Little wisps of girls can kick a giant’s butt, and I’ve seen some lightening-quick skating from girls that could be linebackers for the Bears.
The point is, you use what God gave you. Even if you are a one-person shop, you can be a huge success by your own standards. And, if you are a giant organization, you can still enjoy an intimate work environment with productive, engaged employees through some good communication and an open door.
2. It’s NEVER too late.—With such a physically demanding sport, you might expect to see athletes in their early 20s on the track. Not so. I myself was 35 when the league got going. In fact, my Dad said to me, “You know, most athletes by the time they are YOUR age are retiring.” Thanks Pop. A lot of the women that joined us said they had always been “searching for a place to belong” and this finally fit the bill for them.
Well, the same could be true for you. New technology, new systems, or even new customers could be just the thing you have been quietly searching for. Are your eyes open?
Blogger, author, consultant, coach and all around evangelist for the graphic arts industry, Kelly sold digital printing for 15 years so she understands the challenges, frustrations and pitfalls of building a successful sales practice. Her mission is to help printers of all sizes sell more stuff. Kelly's areas of focus include sales and marketing coaching, enabling clients to find engagement strategies that work for them and mentoring the next generation of sales superstars.
Kelly graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Political Science and, among other notable accomplishments, co-founded the Windy City Rollers, a professional women's roller derby league. She is also the mother of two sets of twins under the age of ten, so she fears nothing.
