This week in The Biz Dojo, we're joined by Haley Daniels - motivational speaker, sports advocate, inspirational leader, and... oh, right - she also happens to be an Olympian.
On this episode we talk with Haley about finding the environment and community that allow us to be the best versions of ourselves. We'll get into compartmentalization, how journaling can unlock a better sense of self, and how goosebumps are the ultimate metric for measuring your day. Haley also dictates a motivational letter to inspire 10-year old Haley on the path ahead.
So, sit down with a pen and paper, grab your Biz Dojo Coffee (Masters Medium - OR - Dojo Dark) , and think about what you'd tell your 10-year-old self.
Don't forget to visit us at the links below, and follow us on social media for exclusive content:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter
Also - check out Newsly (https://newsly.me) and use promo code B1Z2021 to get a free month of premium description.
The Biz Dojo - Podcast, Production & Professional Coaching
Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter
This week in The Biz Dojo, we're joined by Haley Daniels - motivational speaker, sports advocate, inspirational leader, and... oh, right - she also happens to be an Olympian.
On this episode we talk with Haley about finding the environment and community that allow us to be the best versions of ourselves. We'll get into compartmentalization, how journaling can unlock a better sense of self, and how goosebumps are the ultimate metric for measuring your day. Haley also dictates a motivational letter to inspire 10-year old Haley on the path ahead.
So, sit down with a pen and paper, grab your Biz Dojo Coffee (Masters Medium - OR - Dojo Dark) , and think about what you'd tell your 10-year-old self.
Don't forget to visit us at the links below, and follow us on social media for exclusive content:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter
Also - check out Newsly (https://newsly.me) and use promo code B1Z2021 to get a free month of premium description.
The Biz Dojo - Podcast, Production & Professional Coaching
Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter
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Seth Anderson:So JP, I've been inspired
JP Gaston:again?
Seth Anderson:And again.
JP Gaston:And again.
Seth Anderson:When I look back at the last nine months, it's it's hard to believe how much progress I've made personally. But just kind of in talking with the guests that we've had the opportunity to talk with over the last month, let's say I just have realized there's another level and other gear that I've been not avoiding per se but like, I know it's there. And I'd like to tap into it. So what I've I've actually signed up for a program with someone that I met on Instagram, Instagram, you know, LinkedIn and Instagram, I can't tell you how many people I've connected with this year, a lot, guy have
JP Gaston:a lot, my network went from like 100 to like 1001. And
Seth Anderson:some of them have been like really amazing people that you just never would meet otherwise. But anyway, I got hooked up with this guy on Instagram who has a nutrition and physical fitness program. And I've kind of been looking for one of these for a little while now. And just, you know, haven't quite found the right fit. And, you know, my body wasn't necessarily where it needed to be either. I've been struggling a lot with I would say like lower body issues, pulling and straining and just things not quite feeling right, as I've adjusted to call it a new body. Like when you lose as much weight as a person, then yeah, yes, there's, there's like a whole adjustment. And I finally kind of got to a place where I'm feeling really good. And big shout out to Dr. Karen Quinn, who is a chiropractor that I've been seeing recently. And you you know, the issue, the main issue I've been struggling with was around calf pain, my calves just been like killing me
JP Gaston:know that feeling? Oh, so Well,
Seth Anderson:yeah. And, you know, I wouldn't have associated a chiropractor to be able to sort that out. But she's just done an unbelievable job and helping me figure that out and got me to a place where I'm feeling comfortable taking the next step on my physical fitness and literally, literally, so I'm really excited about that I'm starting on Monday, I had to take some before pictures, which had me thinking about our conversation with JD tarps, buddy tarps off. And, you know, I think about that, and and just all the conversations we've had with the guests so far this year, and I think in particular, with Alicia grace, and, you know, this week's episode, with Haley, just realizing that, you know, we can do a lot on our own, we're probably capable of a lot more than we think we are. But, you know, for them to get to the elite level that they they are out of, you know, competing in Olympics, which, you know, I'm not not fixing to do per se, but you're on your way. But I you know, I know, I know that there's more that I can do in the physical fitness and in the nutrition space. And ultimately, that's going to help with mental health and performance in and work and life and all that kind of stuff. And just sort of being inspired by the fact that they have, you know, a bunch of different coaches, right, like, they've got that sports site, they've got a conditioning coach, they've got like the on field coach, and, and it just got me thinking like, okay, I've come a long way. But in order to get to the next layer, I've got to get help from someone who who knows things that I don't know, and can help me tap into things that I haven't seen yet.
JP Gaston:We talked about that a bit on this episode, and in the past, where we dive into the thought that a coach has just for beginners, and I think a coach at the beginning is the most obvious entry point for using a coach but everyone who is at some sort of high level or elite level in sport or business or anything in life typically has a coach someone to be there to help support you guide you help you find your own inner strengths. It's odd that so many people veer away from coaching or think that a coach isn't necessary in those spaces. Like they just they unlock so much for you.
Seth Anderson:Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And so I'm excited. I you know, I'm hoping to kind of post some of it as I go along. It's gonna be a totally new I'm going to hopefully tap into more of the weight based training and just some of the stuff that I've never done before I've done a lot of cardio, a lot of hit some yoga, things like that. But, you know, I know there's a whole other level. Now hit is totally my jam right now, I do need to get into the weight stuff, but those like just a 30 to 45 minute high intensity training session, like that fits in anywhere in my day, and just makes me feel so good. Totally. And there's so many apps and so many resources available to anyone who wants to do that it's easier than ever to get a good workout curated, basically, for you. At any given time. I think the thing I'm most excited about, though, on this whole program is going to be the nutrition. I know that that is, you know, my eating habits suck that I've gotten a lot better from where I was. And you know, interestingly, in this episode, it was it was it was interesting to pick Haley's brain a little bit about plant based diet. And that's, you know, something I'm interested in. I don't know that I want to go full vegan, per se. But I think having a more plant based diet is something that that I'm going to look at, yeah, not all plants, but more more plants.
JP Gaston:my struggle is always thing like chicken wings, for me are just, there's something about them that I just I don't think, I think I think my addiction level with chicken wings is far too great for me to be able to pass them up. But I certainly have opportunity to increase the plant base of my diet.
Seth Anderson:I'm curious to learn more and and hopefully, if that's something that interests you, you can get something out of this conversation with Haley. One thing that, you know, we wanted to preface before we get into it is, you know, it's a real honor and privilege to be joined by Haley, she just got back from the Japan Olympics. So inspired by so many aspects of what she does, and how she shows up in the world. And, you know, consciously we talked about this before the pod like, wouldn't it be cool if we could have a conversation with her and maybe not even talking about the Olympics, and more just get into her, her mindset, how she approaches life and learn a little bit more about, you know, Haley Daniels, the person versus Haley Daniels, the Olympic athlete,
JP Gaston:she's just a super interesting person to begin with, like, and she's, she's so much by like, all of our guests are so much more than their title that they have or the thing that they do. Like it was a bit of a challenge, I guess, between the two of us, can we can we do this without even saying the word Olympics, probably not by really focusing on some of the things that she brings to the table and does outside of the Olympics, or that help her with the Olympics, that nobody would really put the pieces together without having that conversation? It was, it was nice to do.
Seth Anderson:And even what she's learned from being an elite athlete and applied to her regular life. And honestly, like, My sense is she's still figuring it out, like all of us, right? Like, you know, there's this perception of having a professional and a personal version of yourself, whether you're an athlete or in business or whatever. And, you know, I've I've come to believe that I don't think that that's true. I think we're one person and, you know, Haley did talk about that. elite athletes are really good at compartmentalizing things. And when you get in, you know, to sort of figuring almost to their detriment, at some point, like, you got to figure out who you are, and realize that all these things are connected, and you can't just put it in a box. And I'm sure that you know, many people struggle with that. And so it was really cool to provide the space for her to share some of those experiences with us. And it's got me inspired and thinking in a different way on a bunch of different subjects.
JP Gaston:Yeah, and I think that, you know, I've certainly got inspiration from every one of our seasons are a little bit different. And every one of our episodes is a little bit different. And there's something I've taken away from every every piece. So maybe just heading into the episode, people can take a moment and you know, think about something that you've heard or on the podcast or or otherwise or read or been a part of recently that's been inspirational to you and how you can leverage that for yourself going .
Seth Anderson:Welcome to The Biz Dojo, Seth and JP This week, we're joined by Hayley Daniels. Hayley, welcome to the Dojo.
Hayley Daniels:Thank you. I'm happy to be here.
Seth Anderson:We're excited to have you and dive into all things mindset. And you know, how youhave been navigating life after the Olympics and what's next for you. But I think maybe let's start with I'm curious because I think the easiest thing to do would be say, Hey, Lee Daniels national team, athlete Olympian, but I'm wondering like, how do you introduce yourself to someone when you just meet them? You know, is that where you start? Or like, Who are you? How do you describe who you are?
Hayley Daniels:I mean, it definitely depends on the setting. I mean, if I'm at an event, and I'm looking for sponsorships I've got my 30 second elevator pitch ready at hand. And definitely I pop in that I always want the couple now Olympian in there, but I would say, just me, Haley, I'm still trying to kind of navigate that, to be honest. There's such a strong tie connected to your identities and athlete, and there's not a lot of separation. So I guess if I were to, like, put it in words of things I love I'm an advocate. I'm a sister. I'm a curious adventurer, a dog mom, outdoor person, and born and raised calgarian.
JP Gaston:That's awesome.There's so many things in there.
Seth Anderson:So many doors we could open.
JP Gaston:How much has that changed? Since coming back from the Olympics? Like not your list of things you do? Obviously, that hasn't changed, but how much? How much have you felt internally your own identity has changed? Or how much has been kind of, I guess, pressed upon you. As a result of having been to the Olympics? I think that's maybe something people don't, don't think too deeply about,
Hayley Daniels:I think, I mean, it's still it's still weird for me to even call myself an Olympian. I, it's even weird to like, say, I came back from the Olympics like I you know, I even I got the tattoo, it's on my arm, and it still feels weird. It's, it's a, it's still very fresh. We're about a month and a half out for my race. And I think for so long, like I had called myself an Olympic hopeful. And when I was introduced in interviews, or in different settings, a lot of people would call me an Olympian. And I was very quick to say, okay, no, I'm not an Olympian yet, I really hope to be, but you got to make sure like, because it's just such a prestigious club that I really wanted to be a part of. So now coming home,it's been, it's been awesome. And I feel so proud of everything that I've been a part of. But I also feel like I need to, like adjust my relationship with it a little bit, because everyone wants a piece of me. And I am having trouble managing, like, where I get my own time. So that's kind of that's kind of how I feel right now. So I'm happy to be here, though. So don't worry about that.
JP Gaston:I was gonna say this is the shortest interview we've ever had.
Hayley Daniels:I'm really, really happy to be here. I love what you guys are doing. And that's it's just I think, for me coming home, as an Olympian has helped me reassess where I want to put my time and who I want to spend my time with. And I think making an impact is, is really important and sharing it with people that are, you know, really creating that space in my community. And so that's what you guys are doing. So yeah, that's the long answer to the short question. Just sort of picking up on something you said there. What is like if you just like, close your eyes and visualize your perfect day? What does that look like? For for you? Oh, perfect day? Well, it has, I guess, nothing to do with my sport, maybe, I guess, but I'm just outside in the mountains. There's a couple clouds in the sky. And I'm with my best friends. And we're just hooting and hollering, we're so stoked on mountain biking, or kayaking, or just sitting by the water. I would say that's the best day for me just being able to share outdoor spaces with my best friends. Sounds like a great data.
Seth Anderson:I would say and we kind of touched on this on the pre call a little bit. Haley. I think one of the things that I underestimated for most of my adult life was space and environment. And, you know, just when you're when you're saying that, like you're outside, it's it's a nice day, there's a couple clouds in the sky and you're, you're in nature, like I think I've read something in the neighborhood of it's 20 minutes a day. And nature is like scientifically proven to make your life better. And like if you would have told me that two years ago, I'd been like out whatever, like I got work to do. I'm busy making a living, I don't have time to go out in nature. But these last few months since we moved out to Redwood, like I try to get out in nature for at least an hour a day and just like enjoy it. And I think what it's helped me be able to do is find like, a center and like a calm like, no matter how crazy and hectic things get, I can kind of just put myself there. So just wondering like when you think about that perfect day, are you able like before a race or like if you have something stressful going on? Are you able to kind of like put yourself there for a minute with your mindset or how do you how do you navigate when you're heading into a stressful situation?
Hayley Daniels:Well, you hit it right on the head. I mean, nature is such a big part of who I am. And I think it's ingrained in our identity as humans, whether we like it or not, but I spend a lot of time on the road. For the last 12 years. I would travel anywhere from four to nine months a year. I'm in these random cities, with a couple people that are my good friends, a couple people that are my teammates that aren't my great friends but I need to spend a lot of time with them. And yeah, I really miss home. And I think the thing about Canada is we have these awesome wide open spaces that are beautiful and we can connect with but when I'm in like the middle of Paris or Prague or random European cities, it's sometimes hard to find that connection. So, yeah, I try and I do this thing. Now I feel like an older person saying this, but I go for walks after dinner.
Seth Anderson:Walking is like the most underrated thing that is good for you, I think. Yeah. And I just I usually put a podcast in and I just go for a walk anywhere from like, 10 to 10 minutes to an hour. And I literally feel green things around me. And I'll like, Oh, yeah, so I'll be in a city. And I feel like people are probably think I'm crazy. But I'll like be touching their plants. And I have no idea if there's any scientific proven thing with that. But to me, it makes me feel like good and feel connected. And, yeah, it gets me, I would say, I have a lot of anxiety. And I put a lot of pressure on myself. And so when I'm in those high stress situations, like racing, and I have deadlines, and I'm away from my friends and family for a long time, I really need to be able to just connect with something that's real. And so being able to connect with nature, is that really real thing for me So, and it just flows down. And there's no expectation on me. It's just me. And I think that that's something that I have tried to do, but I'm really bad at doing it when I'm home. actually interesting. I'm really good. I'm really good at it on the road. But when I'm home, when I'm on the road, I'm really great at like daily mindfulness and journaling, just everything like yoga, and creating a space for myself. But when I'm home, I'm like, Hey, I got to see this person, I got to fit this in, I'm going to do this. And so that's something I'm working on right now is trying to create more space in my home environment. And is that a bit of the inspiration for moving out to canmore then or?
Hayley Daniels:Yeah, I mean, I spend, I spent a lot of time driving to the mountains, and I just wanted to be closer to them. And it's always been a dream of mine to live in the mountains. So I had this crazy, fast opportunity, like two weeks ago, to move to canmore on an affordable rate, because athletes make nothing. I was like, Okay, I'm doing it. So yeah, my brother's a little disappointed. He's my best friend. He's also my brother, and I live with him right now. And so he's, he's like, I knew this was going to happen, but I thought it was gonna be like a year from now, I didn't think was gonna happen right away. And I was like, realistically, Hayden, you're gonna be like, at my place just as much as I'm going to be back in Calgary. So absolutely. That was a spark as I just wanted to. I just want to be around people that think like me that have a passion for the mountains. And then I just want to be closer to the mountains and be able to sleep a little extra. Before a ski day.
JP Gaston:You want to be able to step aside and touch some leaves.
Hayley Daniels:Absolutely. There's a lot of nature out there. Also some like serious like bears, and cougars, and everything
Seth Anderson:that is a thing that I am learning about with with living out in Redwood.
Hayley Daniels:Yeah, absolutely. I go mountain biking on my own a lot. And I ran into a bear a couple times last year, and you're so fast on a mountain bike, you actually startle them most of the time, which is like a really unpleasant feeling startling to bear. Yeah, I've been reassessing mountain biking on my own. Definitely. I always go with bear spray now. But yes, it's definitely it's full on.
Seth Anderson:I have a very simple question. It's probably like, got layers to it. But I'm curious Haley, what what are you grateful for? I've been dabbling a lot. And like mindfulness and gratitude. And you know, we talked to Alicia wrestling, I think you guys know each other.And she talked about having a gratitude journal and just really trying to grow in that space. Andyeah, what are you grateful for?
Hayley Daniels:So I'll preface this with a story. And then I will talk about what I'm grateful for. So when the pandemic all started, we all had various levels of ways that we were affected by it. And for me, I was four days away from flying to Brazil for my final qualifier, and then we were grounded. Pretty, pretty intense. And I know we all had emotional levels, but it definitely messed with me. And I hoarded groceries and everything I did at all, I was able to connect with a group of ladies who were all working towards Tokyo, in different sports through the Canadian Olympic Committee, it was called an athlete Co Op. We met once every two weeks, and it was virtual. So we all met through a zoom. And we had a facilitator and she really opened us up to things we were concerned about and how we could support each other and honestly So it's similar to a grateful journal or a gratitude journal. I have a journal for like everything, I kind of just throw everything in there. And I actually prefer having like, just blank lines, because I like I like drawing in it. And I like having a lot of a lot of stuff in there. I my my journal is this very, like crazy, put together thing, but I like being able to create my own space in it. But yeah, I think that what I'm grateful for, I mean, it changes throughout my life cycle. But right now, I think I'm grateful to have choice. I'm able to be an athlete and use my body. And I think that that's one of the coolest jobs out there. Like you know, you, you think a little kids. And they're like, I want to be a firefighter, I want to be an athlete, like actually made it I made it and became an athlete. But now I have a choice of what if I want to continue to be an athlete, or if I want to move on. And it's kind of crazy, too, because it also scares the crap out of me. I mean, like, I think choices, sometimes the most exciting thing and also the most scary thing, because it means change,
JP Gaston:you can get really comfortable and in what you do, especially when you put so much time and effort into it like you do. And it's something that I mean, obviously, you're not racing, when you're just enjoying nature. But it is something that you also enjoy outside of the sport. So it's got to be extra hard when it's something that you're kind of passionate about to begin with. And then you've put so much time and effort in that like that would be hard to wrap your head around a little bit, just stepping outside of that and trying something new and different.
Hayley Daniels:Yeah, and I've had actually some realizations lately, I got in my boat for the first time the other day, and I started training again, and all of these emotions came up, I had no idea that was going to happen. But I like I was like, I'll get back and train my God. And it was just like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, actually, to get off the water and just go sit in my car and journal. Like, I've never really had that happen before. And I just did talk to text because it was coming out so fast to hedge like, Yeah, I got to store this somewhere. But one of the things I realized is like, as athletes we're taught, we're like expert compartmentalisation people. So we're really, really good at processing, something that happens to us, acknowledging it, storing it, and focusing on the present moment. And that makes us excellent at our vocation. Because we can perform at high levels with pressure and like crazy things that are happening and so many external pressures around us. But when it actually comes down to processing how we're feeling, and taking that that thing that's coming in and processing it, I would say we're not really good at that. And I can't speak for all athletes, but I can speak for me, like I'm trying to take time now to process how I'm feeling and process, the experience I just went through and the years that I just had, and I'm not very good at it. I find myself wanting to compartmentalize it. So I think that that's that's something I'm working through right now is how to process it and be okay with feeling the way I'm feeling and understanding how I can move forward from that, those realizations about needing to process things and put your effort into mindfulness, those sorts of things. those are those are fairly recent for you then. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, mindfulness has been a part of my practice for a very long time, but the feelings and the actually feeling them is is new for me. I almost feel like a robot. Yeah, I mean, we we become robotic as athletes, right. And I think that's why these games like there's so much talk about mental health, like with Simone Biles and Naomi, Osaka, and all of these really amazing role models, because we are seen as robots were seen as like these people who can just like, perform and then leave, get a medal, you know, like, go into an interview and have a straight face like that's not real. So, yeah, I think I think we all just need to be a little bit more gracious with ourselves and allow us to be human.
Seth Anderson:I feel like as you're saying that just thinking in the business context or A lot of parallels, like if you hink JP and I have been through he last few years, like there as a lot of glorification on orking extra hours. And, you now, there's like the work ueue, and then the personal you nd you're trying to find like his equilibrium or this balance etween the two. And I think hrough COVID, I've especially ad the realization like, there s no work you and like, there's ust one you, right? Like, this sn't one, Haley. And you may do ifferent things and have ifferent aspects of your life, ut you're one person. And so I hink that in the business ontext, as well, like we're xpected to show up and no atter what's happening in our ersonal life, you know, you eed to sit and pay attention nd be on your computer for ight hours a day and, and do ll these things. And I think OVID has opened up a onversation around mental ealth and wellness and like, re we taking care of ourselves nd each other? And how can we o a better job of that, because ne of the biggest lessons I've ad the last few years, if you on't take care of yourself, hat energy is gonna exude and verything that you do, right? ike, if you don't take care of our personal health, your ental health, your you're not etting yourself in the right paces, you're not going to do our best work. Absolutely. And o it's such an interesting, ike, I think it's just a shift hat's happening in the world. nd we're kind of in the middle f it. And I'm just curious, ike, with my kids, like, what re they going to be xperiencing? Like, what are we? hat space are we creating for hem, whether they choose to be thletes, business people, hatever, like, we're kind of railblazing on this front. eah, it's new for all of us. nd so I mean, that's actually hy mindfulness is so trendy ight now, because we're verstimulated, it's not that's hy mindfulness was not really rendy in the 80s, or the 90s. ecause it was a lot more elebrated to relax take time. here's, I mean, there's so much o debunk there. And that's omething my sports psych has old me. But um, I think that my avigation of looking at what's ext I Paris is still very much n the horizon three years away. ut I think like what I want in y next career, I always thought hat I wanted to kind of jump nto like, crazy tack, or like ork for Facebook or something, r I don't, you know, I always hought I would kind of do omething big like that i. But ow what I'm realizing is, I hink the most important thing o me is where I live and having balance and flexibility and utonomy over my day. And I hink that's the biggest silver ining the pandemic is like we an work from home, we can spend ime with our families, we can o for a walk and with our dog n the middle of the day, you now, we don't have to bring the unch with us, we can make a ealthy meal out of our fridge. ike, there's so many amazing hings like that. And don't get e wrong. Being in the office is lso amazing. There are ownsides to remote work. But I hink for me, like remote work llows me to be very productive, ut also be happy with being roductive. I think if I just ick up what you're putting down here, like you're you're coming t it from what is the lifestyle want? And then I can match hat I do to that versus having o match a lifestyle to what you o. Exactly. Now my aspiration s more the lifestyle aspect of t versus the the what not so uch what I work for it's who nd how I worked for them. I hink,
Hayley Daniels:at least right now, that's what
Seth Anderson:I think there's a lot to that. And you know, again, some of the silver linings and COVID is like the world has opened up in ways that it never was before. Like we're able to have this conversation prior to COVID. You know, there's no way JP and I probably start a podcast like this because up until that time, everything was like in person, you had to have a space it was, you know, a lot of more overhead and that kind of thing. But being able to zoom and connect with people all over the world. It's just opened up doors that just simply weren't there before. So I love that concept. And I have thought a lot about that, like, what is the lifestyle I want? What is the space I want to create? How do I want to show up every day. And then what you do just kind of starts to to become clearer instead of working at the other way where all of a sudden you're living this life and you don't know why or where it's going.
JP Gaston:And how you do what you do. Like as has that. Like for me. You know, I've changed some things in my life for sure. And it's changed the way that I work has changed my focus. Have you found Paley that over time as you've focused more on mindfulness, and you've started to get more into that world that it's actually changed the way that you do other aspects of not just training for your sport, but other parts of your life as well.
Hayley Daniels:100% I get chills even talking about that. And that's actually something even to just talk very basic mindfulness, but a podcast I listened to quite often is called finding mastery. And it's the sports sports like for the Seattle Seahawks. And he he I love how he does this and I've totally picked it up but he assesses his days and being grateful for what he's doing. based on how many times a day he gets chills, and I think we are so fast paced that we sometimes don't realize that our body's reacting to something like chills getting chills like that, like the little like, goose bumps on your arm, that's your body saying, I recognize that, I feel that, but sometimes we're so fast, and we're going, we don't feel it, we just go. So I've been even trying to just feel when I have goosebumps, and when I have something like that, because that's me connecting with something. And I mean, breathing is a huge thing. I definitely I was I listened to Alicia, Alicia, and Grace's podcast and grace talked about box breathing, that's something that I do quite a bit of, I do it a little different, because I do longer inhales and then longer exhales. But recently, it's just been something that I have added into everything I do on the water. Before I go, I usually do an inhale for four seconds, and then a long exhale out of my mouth for eight seconds. And then I repeat the same three mantras to myself. So look at the gate and go, trust and believe you've got this. And then when things kind of go awry. Or if I make a mistake, I go, okay, just regroup, trust and believe, trust and believe. And I just keep on repeating trust and believe trust and believe until I cross the finish line. But that that actually has translated into other things. So like, if I'm super frustrated, and traffic, and I can feel myself boiling, I can feel myself like my shoulders are rising, and I'm gripping the wheel, I have negative thoughts in my head, like a story starts unraveling, I'm going to be late for this. And then this person is going to be mad and data data. And then I like I try and just stop. And I'm like, okay, so realistically, if this person is really mad at me because of something that's out of my control, why am I worried about impressing this person? Realistically, like this is out of my control? So what can I control right now I can control this moment. So I can control my breath. I can control what I'm looking at how I feel. And that's the impact on my body. And so I've been trying to kind of do that, and everything I do. And there's that there's actually a woodpecker just about me right now. So if you're some packing, yeah, there's a woodpecker in our neighborhood. So it happens,
Seth Anderson:that traffic story. I mean, I think that's relatable to everybody. And I had a similar like, last week, I was on my way to our softball playoff game. And I got out of the house a little bit late, my day went a little bit long. And I don't know if you've been on stony on the south end lately, but it's a mess. And all the exits were closed that I needed. And I ended up like getting turned around backwards, and I was gonna be like, 15 minutes late. And there's like a minute there. I'm not a minute. But there's like a moment where I'm like, not like hyperventilating, but I'm going to be late, and then everyone's gonna be mad. And then I took a deep breath. And I'm like, you know what it is what it is, I'll get there when I get there. And I like when I pulled up, I'm thinking like, I'm late, people are going to be disappointed or upset or whatever. And I just walked up and it was literally like my turn to bat It was like everything like timed out perfectly, and nobody cared. And it was all in my own head. And that but that deep breath, like, brought me to a place where you know that 15 minutes for I was driving instead of like hyperventilating or being worried about what everybody else thought I was just like, I'll be there when I get there. And it'll all work out. And it did.
JP Gaston:Imagine this, like this moment where you just come out from the parking lot of this dramatic moment in softball history, where there's like smoking lasers, and you just step out with your bat on your shoulder and point to where you're gonna it was none
Seth Anderson:of that someone was just like, Oh, I didn't know you showed up to DC and then I just walked out and hit the wall. That was it.
JP Gaston:That's funny, because we talked about this, this recently, I forget which of our pods, but I feel like we we talk about it on a regular basis, but I'll bring it up again, because it's something that's impacted my whole life, which is my mom used to say regularly to me, and she still does that, you know, there's two types of things in the world. And there's things you can do something about and you don't have to worry about them because you can do something about them. And there's things you can't do anything about and you don't have to worry about them because there's nothing you can do about them. You're not going to make any changes. And I've really feel like that's that's shaped a good portion of my life. And I guess in that in that vein, Haley, what would you tell your you know, 10 year old self as like the thing to start doing what you really wish you had started doing sooner, that that's gonna help you know, shape, the direction that you go.
Hayley Daniels:I'm thinking a lot about this lately. just reflecting back on everything. So do your 10 year old Haley. You've got this. Yes, the world is crazy. Yes, you chose a profession that you make no money at but you love it. But know that you are doing it for you and no one else Keep on pushing and keep on persevering because it's worth it. But don't do it for other people. And remember that impact takes a long time. So you just have to continue to follow your passion and that impactful resume.
JP Gaston:I feel like that was dear 10 year old Hayley / JP. Yeah.
Seth Anderson:I'm tuning into that.
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Seth Anderson:Maybe, since we're on the mom advice slash, talking to younger selves. We do have our weekly question from Mama Seth. And she did a little bit of research and
JP Gaston:Oh, mama Seth, questions are getting more complex.
Seth Anderson:She's going all in.
JP Gaston:She's added research to the game. Soon, she's gonna have a team that helps her create the questions..
Seth Anderson:Taking it, taking it to the next level. So Hayley coming from a family that has a history in sports with your grandpa playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers? Was was there a family expectation to play sports? Or was it just something that you know naturally developed for yourself?
Hayley Daniels:The Great question actually, I've been always asked like, or talked about how there's the long lineage of sport and my family, but never if there was an expectation, but I would never say my parents put any pressure on my brother I and we always worked very well as a nuclear family. And we support each other. Now, we've been through some massive transitions in our family. But I think that my brother, and I've always been extremely active to our detriments, like, you know, I was that kid that was always getting kicked out of class, because I was talking to people beside me bouncing around and looking outside and like squirrels. You know, like, I'm super, like, excited about what's around me. So I think that no matter what I did, it would be I would be moving in some aspect. I would actually say that I'm not a very competitive person, though. And so that's something I actually had to teach myself as being competitive. And my brother, he went to the Olympics for our sport. And he stopped after that, because he realized he hated competing. So I think that word is definitely our family and my dad's side, very competitive. My mom's side is not competitive at all. And I think I fall a little bit in my mom's footsteps, where I'm just not as competitive as I could be
Seth Anderson:I was thinking of my son, actually, when you're talking there. I know, like, the first couple of years when he was in school, we had some challenges with I'll never forget, I went and talked to the teacher because he, he got a one on exercising his democratic rights within the classroom or something like that. And, and basically, what it boiled down to he was he wasn't very good at at sitting at circle time. And, you know, I don't know, he was like, a five year old boy. And I was like, you know, this probably, you know, more to it than that. But anyway, I just think, I think providing them with a with an outlet to get that energy. Like, that's been my thing for my kids. Like, I don't care if you become a professional athlete, like, odds are you're you're not going to, but if if we can get you into something that you love to do, and you get energy out and you meet people and and you learn new skills, like to me that's, that's the approach that I've taken. And I think, you know, he's in basketball right now at CYDC in Calgary. And every time like, he's super amped up to go. And when he's done, he's like, it's, that was awesome. I had a great time. And there's no there's no forcing, there's no expectation. I just, I just want him to have an outlet for that energy and to have fun.
Hayley Daniels:Yeah, and I think like, when I got into paddling, like, I was actually like getting in trouble a little bit at that age. And my parents were like, Kate We're gonna keep driving Haley to training because this is keeping her out of trouble. So, um, there was I wouldn't say it was pressure, but it was definitely like an expectation to stay out of trouble. So that's kind of why I got into sport.
Seth Anderson:So one of the things I know you're pretty passionate about is, you know, connecting with the younger generation, and working with youth. And I was watching a video where you were talking actually about the positives of social media. So that may be you know, that's such a dynamic space. There's, I think we talk a lot about the bad things and we can touch on that too. But what have you found to be positive about social media and how have you use that platform to connect with the younger generation?
Hayley Daniels:Yeah, I mean, social media is ever changing. I've yet to get on to tik tok. So
Seth Anderson:that's been great. Yeah,
Hayley Daniels:I have like, I have an account. I've done one video on there. But I mean, I so my most a lot of my income actually comes from Instagram. I got on early in the influencer stage. I'm no longer not as big as an influencers, a lot of people. But a lot of my sponsors are linked to social. And it's so fun to create those videos. I worked with Subaru Canada a couple years ago, and we did a road trip across just in the interior of BC and Alberta. And we got to have like professional photographers out and go do crazy stuff. And then I had to get pictures and then copy to Subaru Canada at a certain time of day. And at one point, we were in Golden and we mountain bikes, or we drove up the mountain pair got it off it then mountain bike back up it and kayak down and then like, hell, he voted and like it was just crazy. It was such a cool day. And I was like, Man, this is my job. Like this is so cool.
JP Gaston:That sounds like week of adventure to me
Seth Anderson:How'd that not come up in the best day convo?
Unknown:It was a golden day. That was the the theme we work with golden tourism to have a golden day. So yeah, but I mean, the positive social media like being able to connect with so many amazing people. Here's a crazy story. So I was in Seoul, Castlevania at a race. And it was World Water Day. And I tweeted to water aid Canada, Happy World Water Day, like thank you so much for for for reserving water for like people that don't have access to water like we do. They tweeted back and they said thank you for being an advocate. They sent me a DM I became an ambassador with watery Canada just through that tweet. About a month and a half later I was traveling with to Ghana with them to launch a public health program to teach youth in this place on the border Burkina Faso in Ghana, the very remote Northern Community, how to wash their hands and prevent sickness. And it was with right to play. So using sport to teach this. And that's the power of social media. I mean, it was it was literally through a tweet. So I think like, there's some amazing things that come out of it. And it's it's been such a cool thing for me to be a part of. But yeah, there's there are some negatives, you know, I mean, my life is on display all the time. And I also have commitments, so I have to be making these these posts, once a month, once a week, whatever it is in my contract. And sometimes I just don't want to do that. I don't want to have to be happy and be in front of a camera or something like that. But it's also how I pay my bills, how I pay my groceries, things like that. So just have to be real with I guess, this is my get to. So I know you want to talk about this. So I'll lead into it. So my sports site, and I have developed this amazing mantra that my team here my coach, my call ride took on and we got stickers made and everything. And it's it talks about how we get to do things. We don't have to do anything. So just reframing that mindset in your head. I get to use social media as a tool of how I get paid and how I share with the world. What it is, it's like to be an athlete. And I don't have to do that. I could be doing something else but I get to So yeah, that's that's kind of something I bring into everything I do.
Seth Anderson:I love that. It was around Christmas time last year, I saw a video. I think it was Daniel Pink. He's an author. He's done some he has a really good masterclass if you haven't checked that out, but he had a quick little video on LinkedIn. And that was about going for a run and just reframing it from I have to go for a run to I get to go for a run. And it's just like one of those little Jedi mind tricks that I use myself where it's like, oh, I have to go to this meeting. No, I get to go to this meeting. I get to support this team. It's it's, it's simple, but it is I find it very effective.
Hayley Daniels:Absolutely. Yeah. I mean it. It just, it's like a it's playing a trick with your mind of gratitude and mindfulness. The moment you say I get to you under Stand your privilege to be able to go do that. Talking about my experience in Ghana, like, a lot of those kids don't have access to clean water, you get to turn the tap on, you get to have access to a private toilet in your house, not a public toilet, you get to have food on your table that you chose you chose, right? So there's so many perspectives there that I think we lack sometimes, because we get so stuck in our bubble. And we need to remember that we're really, really lucky.
JP Gaston:Is that how you when you when you have those commitments, is that how you reframe them? You were talking you were talking about some of the commitments you have to pay your bills, which I think can make it even more difficult to get into that mindset of I get to versus I have to do because you I mean, the one thing you probably have to do is eat. So is that also how you, you reframe that for yourself in those contexts.
Hayley Daniels:I mean, I'm not a superhero. I definitely sometimes like I feel like I hear myself complaining. And I'm like, Hey, you need to check yourself Haley, like, this is a really grateful thing, like, but yeah, I really, really try to, but I really try to just remember that I yeah, I just I get to be doing these things. And if I didn't want to be doing it, like I could just stop. Actually, I listened to a really interesting last year, Chris Hatfield presented to all the Canadian athletes through zoom, when the pandemic happens, and he said something really interesting. that resonated with me, but there's a greater cost to quitting then there is just seeing it through. And not just saying so true to me, because it's true. If I were to just quit right now, I think what I was doing my thoughts, no, but no. But no, I mean, there's, there's so much to it. Like, if you think about just randomly quitting, there's so much more disappointments and figuring out what else to do versus actually just seeing it through and doing what you know how to do.
Seth Anderson:Where my brain went to is you end up in what could have been land, or I think I've lived that. And I've overcome some of that. But, you know, if I think back to this moment where I I've always wanted to be.But if I were to say, what was what was your dream job, Seth, like growing up, and through most of my life, it's like, I want to be the GM of the Vancouver Canucks. That's, that's my dream job. And I had this opportunity to go and meet with, I think it was at St or UFC. And this is, like, 12 years ago, to get into this Sports Management Program, and I didn't go I had a meeting booked. And I talked myself out of it, because it's like, no, I gotta work for a living, I got to pay bills, I got to do all these things. And and I probably spent like, five years going, like, what if I had gone to that meeting? Like, where would my life have gone? And like being in that space sucks, like the what if, you know, and, and in that case, I didn't even get started. It was just whatever. And I think, you know, some of the things that I've done more recently, where you like, it sucks. Sometimes, like, even this podcast, there's times when it sucks, where it's like, we got to stay up late, we got to get up early, we got to find time to do it. And it's a huge pull of energy. And it's like, why are we doing this like, and then it's like to help people. And like, that kind of just picks you up. And it's like, even if every episode just helps one person or sparks one person to do one thing, like, that's why we do it. And we can't quit now like we're, we're into this thing. And like, I don't know, it just resonates with me. Like if you start something, see it through. It's, it's it's not everything is gonna be fun and enjoyable and a great time day in and day out. But how you approach it, the energy you bring to it and the things you'll learn from it. It's all worth it, I think,
Hayley Daniels:yeah, can always just reassess if it's serving you. Like, you know, like, sometimes you do have to quit something.
Seth Anderson:I think where that comes into, like, just think about the podcast as an example. Like, everything ends at some point. So how do you know when that end is because maybe you're not quitting, maybe you've, you've done what you set out to do, and it's time to move on. And that's not necessarily quitting. It's just recognizing that, like you said, it's not serving you or it's run its course and it's time to take those lessons on to the next thing, but interesting, I could vibe on that all day. Yeah, absolutely. I know, we're running up on time here. Maybe just a couple more things. I've been fascinated with nutrition lately. And I know you're a plant based athlete, and there's been a lot of movement in that direction in recent years. I know you know, I JP Well, I'm a big basketball fan, Steve Nash, Chris Paul, you know, some pretty elite level players that have gone that way. What What inspired you to become plant based and what are some of the benefits been for you?
Hayley Daniels:Um, so I've been placed here and like I started eating fish a little bit in there and eggs, but I'm now plant based again since 2012. So I've been doing it for a long time. I read a book it was called the thrive diet by Brendan brazier. He's the owner of Vega. He started Vega. And he just talked about how he had his best results as a triathlete by eating plant based. And I was young and dumb, and just want to try it out. Not so dumb, because it's actually been one of the most impactful things on my career. But yeah, I am lactose intolerant. But at that point, I was still just eating dairy, because I love cheese, and I love ice cream and all these things, and then I'd feel sick constantly, I'd be constantly tired. And then I learned about what that allergy actually is. It's when I eat dairy and my intestines get inflamed. They literally swell up and that changed everything. For me. I was like, every time I do this, I'm making my body like swell. Like, that's gross. Like, that's not that's not smart for me. And that's why I'm tired because my body has to process swelling and the inflammation coming down. Yeah, I stopped eating dairy. And that was really hard because I miss cheese. But now there's some great alternatives. Eggs kind of were starting to make me feel a little weird too. And meet my dad's a hunter. So I always came from like, really great steaks in the fridge are in the freezer and like all these really great meats, but I just felt better without eating in it. And yeah, now I I can't even imagine like eating meat. Like I actually can't get my head around it. Like it's like I see it. And I like I like the thought of it getting stuck in my teeth is just not okay with me. I do crave a burger every now and again. So beyond meat burgers have been awesome, because they're so like, it really tricks the mind. I think I'm eating a burger. But the benefits of it like, Yeah, I just I feel so like, I feel like my, I've been able to be a high performance athlete 30 now, so I'm not young chicken like spring chicken. But I definitely noticed that my body is slowing down a little bit. So when I do eat clean, and I do eat really well, I really can notice it my power on the water. And just my joints are still able to move well. My skin feels great. And my mind is really clear. It is really hard to be plant based when you're on the road. There are places that I've just had to turn my brain off and eat what's in front of me because I need to eat. But I just spent the last seven months in Europe, we left in January, not knowing when our Olympic Trials would be or when I would come home. And then we came home after Tokyo. So in August, there was a lot of times it was really tricky to be vegan because most of the places we were we actually didn't have kitchens. So it was chef's cooking for us because of COVID and everything. And like in France plant based is like you eat a baguette with butter on it. No butters not plant based, but but what like it's like they didn't understand. And then they get offended. They're like you don't want to eat my like, because there's two chefs in France or stuff. So perspective. And so anyways, it's I've always just stuck true to it. And I basically would just travel with protein. So I would always go to a grocery store and I grab tofu or grab peanut butter, grab a can of beans. And sometimes I would like eat a salad and literally like chow down on again. It's not it's not so glamorous in some places. But I knew I was getting my protein. I knew I was getting my access to the nine and amino acids. Yeah, I just I love cooking. So it's it's been fun to explore so many different recipes,
JP Gaston:I guess on the way out, what do you what are you working on for you like other than the diet? What sort of things are you doing for yourself for your mindfulness for what's what's Hayley working on for Hayley
Seth Anderson:how do you feed your mind?
Hayley Daniels:So from being away all the time, I feel like I've really lost my sense of community. And so I'm working on my community. I'm working on my connections, most of my best friends live across the world. So I still talk with them, but I can't connect with them face to face. So yeah, just trying to be cool with hanging out with myself but also meeting new people and trying to establish those connections. Yeah, what am I working on? I don't know. Honestly, the the question I hate the most coming back from the Olympics is what's next? I hate it. And a friend of mine actually told me I should write a script. Because every single person asks me what's next they asked me what was it like sleeping on a cardboard bed? What was it like being in the food hall? What was Tokyo like, what's next? But um, in all honesty, I think that what's next is just slowing down a little. And just figuring out me and how I feed my mind. I listen to CBC Radio.
Seth Anderson:That'
JP Gaston:High Five on that. I think it's one of the most underrated
Hayley Daniels:I love CBC. I'm a I really think that they do a good job of looking at weal h perspectives of everything. U, I listen, a lot of podcasts. Y u guys are doing an awesome job. I try and ask more question. Spend time with my parents. A d I'm a draw. I love drawing.
JP Gaston:between the lines in your
Unknown:in between lines in y journal Yeah, so yeah, ju t trying to create space for e and listen to my body when I'm tired. Like, don't just pu h through it like, actually l ke, Hey, I'm tired like, what am I taking off my plate today?
Seth Anderson:Well, best of luck with the move today. Thank you. And we really appreciate you coming and sharing with us and yeah, this is awesome.
Hayley Daniels:Yeah, thank you.
JP Gaston:Hey, thanks for listening to today's episode. If
Seth Anderson:you like what you heard today and you'd like to tap into your inner wisdom, check us out on The Biz Dojo comm Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook
JP Gaston:or send us a message for a free discovery session to coaching at The Biz dojo.com.
Seth Anderson:We hope to hear from you soon. See you next week.