Natalia Rivera-España is the owner of Group Open Air Training (GOAT) Santa Cruz, an outdoor group training facility in Santa Cruz, CA. Natalia has always had a passion for maintaining an active lifestyle, but it wasn't until the COVID shutdown that Natalia took a leap of faith and created GOAT Santa Cruz. Natalia has always believed in the power of pushing oneself outside their comfort zone. Establishing a business in the depths of a pandemic, having never been an entrepreneur before, was a massive step into the unknown. Growth comes from deciding to do the hard thing. The success of GOAT Santa Cruz is a result of creativity, connection and hard work.

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In this episode, I explore how physical fitness serves as a powerful laboratory for leadership development—and why the lessons you learn when pushing your body to higher levels of fitness model the exact skills you need to lead yourself and others well.

The Translation Between Fitness and Leadership

If you're like most leaders I work with, you've heard yourself say: "I don't leave my desk for lunch." "I don't take breaks." "I don't have time to exercise." Sound familiar? But here's the paradox—when we pause to take care of ourselves, when we refuel and connect, everything else gets better. The discipline you apply, the willingness to handle discomfort, the power of engaging in a shared struggle with others—these lessons can transform how you lead.

Doing Hard Things Builds Capacity for Everything Else

One profound shift that changes everything, is moving from "life shouldn't feel uncomfortable" to "I'm seeking discomfort because that's where growth happens."

When you train yourself to show up and do the work every single day, you build a foundation that prepares you for those exceptional moments—the breakthrough opportunity, the difficult conversation, the crisis that demands your best.

And doing hard things has other benefits:

• Recent research shows that lactate (a result of that burn you feel during intense exercise) actually improves cognition, brain plasticity, and long-term brain health
• Embracing physical discomfort can make you better at handling life's other challenges
• The emotional payback is exponential—walking away from doing something hard and feeling impressed and proud of yourself is incredibly powerful

The Power of Shared Challenge

When you experience something difficult with others—whether in a fitness class or navigating a workplace crisis—it becomes even more meaningful:

• There's an accountability that happens in community that you can't get working alone
• Shared struggle creates bonds to the team, the outcome, and the organization itself
• People remember how you make them feel more than anything else

Support and Challenge: The Leader's Balancing Act

Great instructors (and great leaders) balance on a fine line where they push you to your threshold without pushing to failure. They bring everyone up with them—sometimes above them—because the spotlight isn't for them. The best leaders create environments where each team member goes home feeling the win was their own, knowing they're capable of more than they thought.

Discipline and the Decision That's Already Made

Stop making exercise a daily decision. When you truly commit, you stop asking "should I work out today?" and start asking "what time?" This same principle applies to self-care, to showing up for difficult conversations, to being the leader you want to be, even when you don't feel like it.

• Training yourself to do hard things builds the baseline that allows you to be exceptional when it matters most
• Surround yourself with people who will cheer you on and allow you to take that leap
• Build a community that makes it hard to NOT show up

Resources Mentioned:

• GOAT Santa Cruz: goatsantacruz.com (mention Claire Laughlin's name for something special!)
   

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting. 

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