The Power of Pace: What Sports, Sobriety, and Starting a Business Taught Me About Slowing Down

I used to think slowing down meant I was falling behind.

In sports, you're taught to hustle. In entrepreneurship, you're told to scale fast. And in sobriety? It's easy to feel like you need to have it all figured out yesterday.

But the longer I do this work—in coaching, in recovery, in life—the more I realize that sustainable growth only happens when you learn to control your pace.

Chris and I dove deep into this idea in a recent podcast episode, unpacking what it means to move at your own rhythm even when the world wants you to speed up. We explored how athletes, entrepreneurs, and anyone navigating big life transitions can benefit from going slower in order to go further.

Here’s what we’ve learned:

1. Slowing down isn’t quitting. It’s strategy.

I learned this the hard way in my coaching days. One of my players tried to mimic a faster teammate’s speed—but that wasn’t her game. When she finally leaned into her own strengths, everything changed. That moment stuck with me: we don’t win by trying to be someone else. We win by understanding who we are and playing to that.

2. Pacing protects your power.

Burnout is real. So is fear-based action. When I first started building my business, I was tempted to rush. I saw others moving fast—landing clients, posting reels, launching offers. And I felt behind. But forcing myself to keep up with someone else’s timeline didn’t serve me. Slowing down gave me the space to find my own voice. To build real confidence. To grow into this next chapter, not just check boxes.

3. Comparison is a pace killer.

Whether you're watching other coaches blow up on Instagram or trying to match a teammate's speed, comparison will pull you out of your lane. And if you're not careful, you'll lose your footing trying to keep up with a game you were never meant to play.

Chris shared a moment from his entrepreneurial journey where moving too fast actually cost him—literally. He rushed into an offer before it was ready, lost money, and learned the hard way that clarity doesn't come from chaos. It comes from calm.

4. Rest is not the opposite of progress.

One of the most radical things we can do—especially in recovery—is give ourselves permission to rest. Not as a reward, but as a requirement. Because clarity, creativity, and confidence? They all grow in quiet spaces. When we stop reacting and start responding.

5. You don’t need to prove anything by going fast.

Success isn’t measured by urgency. It's measured by alignment. When you slow down, you can actually hear your intuition. You can make moves that reflect who you are, not who you're trying to impress.

So whether you're in a season of rebuilding, launching something new, or just trying to stay grounded—I want to remind you: pace is power.

You don’t need to win the race in the first lap. You just need to run it your way.