This week’s conversation is with Julie Foudy, a former Captain of the USA Women’s Soccer Team.

Julie had a sensational soccer career participating in 4 Women’s World Cups and 3 Olympics for the USA Team.

She is a two-time World Cup Champion and she is also a 1996 Olympic Gold medalist, 2000 Olympic Silver medalist and 2004 Olympic Gold medalist.

Julie was captain for 13 of her 17 years on the National Team and finished her career with 45 goals, 59 assists and 273 international appearances (caps) for the USA.

Her 273 caps rank fourth in the world all-time, male or female.

Julie was inducted in the US National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007, alongside longtime teammate and friend, Mia Hamm. Julie and Mia were only the 6th and 7th women ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and the first and only ALL FEMALE induction class.

Julie is now a television analyst and reporter for ESPN and the founder of the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy.

She also recently launched her new podcast, Laughter Permitted, in March of this year so definitely go check that out!

“A phrase that guides my life is choose to matter. You decide your path, your attitude, your approach to every day. You wake up with that choice. That’s a huge one to me.”

In This Episode:

• The common denominator on the National team: Feistiness
• Where she got her her competitive spirt and fire from
• The reason for Team USA’s success in 1999
• Joining Team USA at the early age of 15 and how that shaped her career
• How she prepared for the Olympic games
• Managing self-imposter syndrome and nerve-racking situations
• Self-talk: what her positive and negative thoughts sounded like in intense moments
• Why she doesn’t care what people think about her anymore
• Her thoughts on early-sport specialization
• Becoming addicted to the adrenaline of playing in World Cup and Olympic matches
• How she defines mastery: significance over success
• The beauty of different leadership styles
• Where she gets confused: whether religion is good for society
• Her recovery and gratitude practices
• How she looks at failure
• The last time she witnessed mastery
• What she craves most
• The phrase that means the most to her
• What she would ask another master of craft