205 How to Run a Business While Being an Olympic Athlete with Nick Symmonds

"There is only one thing it takes to be successful: perseverance." - Nick Symmonds If you enjoyed this episode, check out show notes and more at http://lewishowes.com/205. Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Lewis Howes?

  This is episode number 205 with Olympian and USA national champion Nick Simmons.

• 0:08Lewis Howes?

  Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin.

• 0:34Lewis Howes?

  Very excited about our guest today. His name is Nick Simmons and I just got wind of him and learned about him a few weeks ago when I was watching the USA Outdoor National Championships where he won the 800 meter and it was incredible to watch him start in last place and come from behind in the last 150 meters. And I actually found out that I actually competed with him 10 years ago at the National Championships, Division 3 National Championships In 2005 where I was competing as a decathlete and he was competing in the distance events. He is a seven-time NCAA champion at Willamette University, Division 3 school. He's a six-time USA Outdoor Champion at the 800.

• 1:15Lewis Howes?

  Two-time World Champion finalist, 2012 and 2008 Olympic Team Member, third fastest American ever in the 800 meter dash. He's broken many other records. He's an incredible guy and one quick fact about him, he is 99.9% faster than the entire population. Pretty cool. He loves all things outdoors, hiking, mountain, climbing, fishing, hunting. He grew up in Boise, Idaho. And we had an incredible conversation talking about what it means to be one of the best in the world. What it means visually, mentally, emotionally, physically, to give 110% at one vision, one goal for decades.

• 1:57Lewis Howes?

  And how to stay consistent over that time and continue to get better, even when the doubt creeps in, when age creeps in, when your body starts to wear down, how do you stay consistent and how do you live your life at such? A high level to achieve that. Also talking about some of the entrepreneurial things that he does as an athlete, seeing as on the USA team, no one really gets paid anything. So how he's been able to build his own brand and make a full-time living through creative entrepreneurial ways. I'm very excited about this episode. Make sure to head back to LewisHowes.com/205 to get the full details about how you can connect with Nick over on Twitter and Instagram and everywhere online. Also about his companies that he's involved

• 2:39Lewis Howes?

  with, his sponsors and all that other good stuff. So make sure to check him out, follow his journey. Again, share this with your friends if you enjoy it over at LewisHowes.com/205. And without further ado, let's dive into this with the one and only Nick Simmons.

• 2:59Lewis Howes?

  Welcome everyone back to the School of Greatness Podcast. Very excited about today's guest. I just become aware of him about a few weeks ago when he won, I believe it was the national championships, the USA national championships in Oregon in the 800 meter. And we've got Nick Simmons on. How's it going, Nick?

• 3:16Speaker 01

  I'm good, guys. Thanks for having me.

• 3:18Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, I'm very excited. And before I dive into your fun facts, I gotta see if we might have actually competed on the same track a decade ago.

• 3:29Speaker 01

  Really?

• 3:30Lewis Howes?

  Now, I'm trying to, I'm trying to see if we're the same time. You were born in 1983, correct?

• 3:36Speaker 01

  That's correct.

• 3:36Lewis Howes?

  I was born in 83. And my senior year, I decided to go back. I was a football player. And my senior year, my whole career, I wanted to be an All-American athlete. And I played Division III football. And I broke a world record one year and I didn't make it that year. And I was like, you know what? I can't do it in a team sport because we weren't good enough. We didn't win enough games for me to really get that credibility. And I said, you know what? I'm gonna try the decathlon and see if I can be an All-American. So I trained for six months in the decathlon and I went to a Division III school. And, and I was at the

• 4:11Speaker 01

  Which school, yeah?

• 4:12Lewis Howes?

  It was at Principia College, a very small school in Illinois. And, and 2005.

• 4:18Speaker 01

  I would imagine that your, was it your senior year, you would have been in, uh, in, uh, Wisconsin, Oskar for nationals?

• 4:25Lewis Howes?

  Uh, it was actually in Waverly, Iowa. So I don't know if that was the same year you were there. But did you go train there at the?

• 4:31Speaker 01

  It was a long time ago. Yeah. So I was, I was class of those six. So I think we were probably right around the same time.

• 4:36Lewis Howes?

  Okay, cool. So 2005, I was at the national championships. You were, you were there. You won that year, I think. Cause you won every.

• 4:42Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah, I did.

• 4:43Lewis Howes?

  So you were at the.

• 4:44Speaker 01

  Uh, eight and fifteen.

• 4:45Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. So you were, you were at that, that meet in Waverly, Iowa, your junior year, right?

• 4:49Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah. Yeah. So were you class of five then? Yeah.

• 4:52Lewis Howes?

  I, I was a five and I vaguely remember seeing that race in the 800 and seeing you just demolish people. Um, and I think you, I think you might have broken a record or something.

• 5:03Speaker 01

  I love going to a D3 school.

• 5:05Lewis Howes?

  It was cool, right? Yeah. You went to Willamette, right? In, uh, where is that?

• 5:08Speaker 01

  Yeah. We'd say it's Willamette, damn it.

• 5:10Lewis Howes?

  Willamette, okay.

• 5:11Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 5:12Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. So I'm curious now. So we've actually probably run into each other at that event, or we were within like 20 yards of each other at one point. So, um, it was cool to kind of like track back and see when, uh, you know, that you went to a D3 school and, uh,

• 5:26Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 5:26Lewis Howes?

  that we competed together.

• 5:27Speaker 01

  Well, if you were a decathlete, you were a real athlete. I just run around in circles. But the decathletes, I always had the utmost respect for because you have to be good at 10 different events. It's not even anything to do.

• 5:36Lewis Howes?

  Well, that's the reason why I did it because I wasn't great at any one event. So that for me was the only way I could make All-American. Cause I was, I was good at high jump and I was good at the 100 and things like that. But I was not, I was not, you know, All-American or national championship class. So for me, I put it all together and just, uh, you know, grinded it out and made it happen. So.

• 5:58Speaker 01

  Nice, man. Congrats. What a great story.

• 6:00Lewis Howes?

  Thanks, man. But, uh, but you've got a great story and, um, you know, you were one of the top high school athletes in the 800 and the 1500. And you decided to go D3 and I'm curious, why did you decide to do that?

• 6:12Speaker 01

  Yeah, well, I grew up in Boise, Idaho, which isn't exactly like the hotbed or track or field. So though I was winning state titles, they weren't really in times that were um, super competitive with states like Florida, Texas, or California. So D1 coaches were looking at me, but they all said, hey, you can walk on our team. We'd love to have you. But um, you know, for me, I, I really wanted to be a student athlete and I wanted the student part to come first and I wanted to have the full college experience. So uh, you know, rather than being an indentured servant at a D1 program like a lot of coaches were asking for, I thought, why don't I go to a D3 school where I can have a job and major in chemistry, which is what I wanted to study and run when I feel like it and

• 6:52Speaker 01

  not run when I don't. So I was a part of a fraternity as well, the Sigma Chi, and I really feel that, you know, choosing D3 um, allowed me to have that, that real true college experience and I um, you know, at the time, there, there were some frustrations. Um, you know, with, with the, with the athletics. But ultimately it allowed me to practice winning and, and save my legs for my, my post-clature career.

• 7:17Lewis Howes?

  Wow. So do you think if you would have went to a D1 school, you would have burnt out, been too burnt out to continue training for the last 10 years?

• 7:22Speaker 01

  You know, it's so funny. It's hard. I think about that sometimes. No. Um, if I'd gone to a D1 school, maybe I'd have gotten burnt out or maybe I would have accelerated at a faster rate and signed a bigger deal out of college. I think you can torment yourself with the what ifs. All I know is that I'm 31 now. I've made two Olympic teams. I I'm just so ecstatic with the way my life has turned out so far. So I'm just very appreciative for everything that I've, that I've had so far.

• 7:45Lewis Howes?

  It's amazing. So you graduated in 2006, so you made the next Olympics in 2008 and 2012. Is that correct?

• 7:51Speaker 01

  That's correct.

• 7:52Lewis Howes?

  That's amazing. So did you know when you graduated in '06 from a D3 school that you know, really the next year was kind of like the qualifying year. So 2007, I believe, is the qualifying year. Did you think that you had a chance? Were you like on par in the top? Uh, do they only take three athletes from America or what do they take?

• 8:10Speaker 01

  Yeah, so in each event, America takes three athletes. So I I knew when I graduated that, uh, you know, I'd have to find a way to be top three in America in either the eight or 15. And fortunately, the day, I think it was the day before, right after graduation, um, I went to the US Championships and I went in ranked maybe 30th and

• 8:29Lewis Howes?

  30th.

• 8:30Speaker 01

  You know, through some smart 30th and but through some smart racing and and and quality tactics, I I set a huge personal best at my first US Championships and came out of that ranked second.

• 8:40Lewis Howes?

  Holy crap.

• 8:40Speaker 01

  And so that's kind of what launched my career. I was on, I graduated with a degree in in chemistry and I was on pace to go off to medical school, but I decided to table that for a couple of years to really put all my energy into training for the 2008 Olympic Games. And that second place finish kind of validated everything that I was doing. I I just thought to myself, if I can just stay here, I don't even need to improve. I just have to be consistent over the next two years, then I'll achieve my dream of being a US Olympian. And I was actually able to improve and finished uh, first at the US Olympic Trials in 2008 to make my first Olympic team. And then, you know, when you do what, when you made one, you want to come back for more. I I only made the semifinals in Beijing, so set a new goal of of training for four more years and making the finals in London, which was was just what I was able to do. I finished fifth in London.

• 9:24Speaker 01

  But again, to be that close to medals, you you want to come back for more. So here I am. I know, man, I'm a decade, I'm a decade older and I'm still doing it, but my goal now is to make the 2016 Olympic team and finally get that medal that's eluded me.

• 9:37Lewis Howes?

  And you just won the national championships in Oregon, correct?

• 9:41Speaker 01

  That's correct. Yeah, my sixth US title. Yeah.

• 9:43Lewis Howes?

  And is that the qualifier or is next year, or what's the qualifier for the Olympic team?

• 9:48Speaker 01

  So that was the qualifier for this year's World Championships, which will take place in August in Beijing, China. Uh, I'll have to go through the same process next year to make it 2016 Olympic team. So every year you have to try out again for Team USA. Uh, it's a rigorous process where they take the top 32 athletes or so and narrow them down to their three, uh, that they'll actually ultimately select for the team.

• 10:08Lewis Howes?

  And it all comes down to one race. It's not like.

• 10:11Speaker 01

  One race, man. Yeah, it's unforgiving. You have to show up on the day and you have to perform, otherwise you wait four more years.

• 10:16Lewis Howes?

  I remember I interviewed Brian Clay, um, who's a decathlon gold medalist.

• 10:21Speaker 01

  Oh, I know Brian well, yeah.

• 10:22Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, and he, you know, the last Olympic trials, he, he didn't qualify during the Olympic trial. I think he got injured or, or he, he slipped or he missed one of his marks on something. And, uh, he didn't even get in top three or didn't even qual- finish the, the, the two day event, so.

• 10:37Speaker 01

  The trials, yeah.

• 10:38Lewis Howes?

  It's heartbreaking because you could be the best all year, but if you don't show up on that day, you don't go to the Olympics.

• 10:43Speaker 01

  Oh, I mean, you, you might be the best in the world. You could be the, the world record holder, but if, if you, something happens, you get tripped or you're, you're food poisoning or something, something out of your control. Again, you wait four more years for another cha- chance at it. So it's, it's really cruel and brutal, but. It is, but it's the only fair way to do it in a country like the United States, but we have so many great athletes, you know? There might be 10 or 15, 20 in an event that all deserve a chance to, to go. Um, you have to find a fair, um, way to select that team. And as cruel as it is, this is the way we've decided to select it. And I think it was pretty fair.

• 11:16Lewis Howes?

  It's fair. Yeah. It's just, uh, and it gives the underdogs a chance, you know, gives people who may not have a chance to, to say, hey, if I show up today and I'm strategic, like you've been many times, and maybe I can come from behind. And, um, and make it on the team. Maybe I can get third or something. So, uh, I'm curious now, what is your mindset approach when you go into a big race? Is it differ from race to race? Or do you have the exact?

• 11:41Speaker 01

  Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, uh, especially now at 31, I'm, I'm appreciating that even more is that there's only so many efforts that you have in your body. I, I can only, we call it going to the well, you know, digging so deep and, and finding that extra little bit of adrenaline or, or that little bit extra energy or soul that you can burn up there. Um, you can only call them that so many times. So, you know, if I'm in an exhibition race or a race that's really more training oriented than a championship setting, you know, I, I can race at 95% effort, but I know that when it comes to a championship race. You know, US championships or a world or Olympics, that's, that's when I save everything I got and I'll, I'll, you know, lead to win one of those.

• 12:22Lewis Howes?

  So an exhibition race, you'll you'll go at 95% and you'll still win at that race? Or do you just not?

• 12:28Speaker 01

  Not necessarily. No, sometimes I get my butt kicked, but yeah. Like if it's a if it's a if it's a race that I think I can win without expending too much energy. Um, you're coming from small schools, from from Boise, Idaho for a little bit. I learned to get through some races, um, expending as little energy as possible because when you're a small school, when you're when you're basically a big fish in a small pond, it rakes you pretty hard. So there might be weekends back in college where I'd run, you know, four or five times in a weekend. So I learned to to expend as little energy as possible and ultimately become a great championship runner and really save those those skewed efforts that you can call upon. Um, you know, for your A plus hundred percent efforts for when they really, really matter.

• 13:08Speaker 01

  So, you know, case in point was the 2015 season, I I hadn't won a single race all year and people had kind of ripped me off. And so that I was too old to win US titles anymore. But when I got to the US championships, um, you know, the the increased level of focus, the increased level of professionalism and just knowing that my body had been waiting all year to to find out what it really had, um, you know, had in my legs. I was able to call upon that one more time and ultimately win my sixth title.

• 13:33Lewis Howes?

  That's crazy, man. Yeah, I remember I just watched the uh, the race again before we got on the call and I you started out from the back of the pack and you, you know, after the first lap, I think you were in fourth or something and then, or maybe it was in the last 300, you were in fourth and then the last 100, you just crept around the corner and passed three more guys and won by like three yards or something is pretty inspiring. I mean, how does that make you feel when you're in the back of the pack almost the whole time?

• 14:00Speaker 01

  Um, yeah, a little bit panicked, to be honest.

• 14:02Lewis Howes?

  You're like 10, 15 yards behind the front.

• 14:04Speaker 01

  And people watching me probably thought I was injured, but uh, no, I I've always say you kind of got to play the cards you're dealt. And I don't have the same kind of top end speed that some of my competitors do. So instead of running huge positive differentials, um, you know, some athletes will go out and run their first lap four or five seconds faster than their second lap. My laps need to be much closer together, so I ultimately um, end up trying to run pretty even splits, but it's funny, it looks like I'm, it looks like everyone else is slowing down and I'm just accelerating, but really I'm just not decelerating.

• 14:37Lewis Howes?

  You're just staying the same pace as everyone else, yeah.

• 14:40Speaker 01

  Exactly, but it usually puts me in the dead last after the first lap and then I have a lot of work to do to get around people. So in case in point, at the 2015 championships, I think I was probably like the seventh, sixth or seventh with 300 to go. And I kind of peered around the corner and shook my head knowing how much work I had to do. But if I just take it one step at a time and say, you know, move from seventh to sixth here and then move from sixth to fifth here. And, and ultimately in the 800, I feel that if I can be on the leader's shoulder with 100 meters to go, then the, then the real race actually begins and you can see the finish line and the crowd's on their feet cheering you. And that's when the adrenaline just really peaks in your system and you find the superhuman strength that can carry you, you know, down that last 100 meters, even when every fiber of your body is telling you to stop.

• 15:25Lewis Howes?

  And it's much harder to sustain that top end speed if you go the first lap, right? It's much harder to keep it all the way through the last 200 if you've already put your maximum energy in the first lap and a half. So it seems like-

• 15:36Speaker 01

  Yeah. And if you look at most splits, the athletes are actually slowing down every single 200 slightly. So it's not uncommon for your fastest 200 to be your first 200 and your slowest 200 to be your last. It's just about, you know, trying to maintain form and propelling yourself forward despite the fact that lactic acid and fatigue is just gripping your muscles.

• 15:56Lewis Howes?

  How much of a mental game is it for you before the race? Uh, whether it be the night before, the morning before warming up, uh, are you talking to the other competitors? Are you not talking to them? Are you in your own zone? Do you get in their head some way or do you just focus on your own game?

• 16:13Speaker 01

  You know, everyone's a little different, uh, but certainly the mental aspect of it's huge. Uh, having done this for, again, almost, shoot, almost two decades now, I've learned what works for me. And for me to perform my best, it's almost tricking myself into thinking that it's not, it's no big deal. And even before an Olympic final, for example, I do everything I can to take my mind off the race, whether that's watching crappy TV or reading a good book or just chatting with my family. I want to think about the race as little as possible because it just gets, gets your heart going and that adrenaline- Um, it's something that you need to save for the race. So I try to keep my mind off it as much as possible. About an hour or two before I start warming up, I'll allow myself to do some visualization exercises and really imagine myself in that race and imagine different scenarios

• 16:58Speaker 01

  taking place and how I would respond to them. Uh, and then, you know, once, once you start warming, you can really, really starting to allow yourself to, to embrace that, that sense of, of competition coming, you know, that fight or flight, you kind of embrace the fight a little bit more. But I, but again, you, I know a lot of athletes, especially young athletes that, that beat themselves before the races even started by, by wasting that energy.

• 17:20Lewis Howes?

  I have done that so many times in high school where we'd get ready for like a state championship in basketball or football, big playoff game. And I would hype myself up for the whole day in school, like wasting all my energy that where the game came around, I had nothing left to give and I was exhausted.

• 17:37Speaker 01

  Yeah, I know it happens and it happens more often than not.

• 17:40Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, it's tough. It's kind of like, you know, when you see Usain Bolt, it's like he's just playing around. He's just like so relaxed. Um,

• 17:47Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 17:48Lewis Howes?

  And then he's able to turn it on.

• 17:48Speaker 01

  You know, but you'll look at, if you look at the starting line of a, of a like Olympic final like that, you've got Bolton's clowning around and for him, that, that works so well because it allows him to just do, let his body do what it does. You know, and he's just letting his mind get out of the way. Whereas for other athletes, you'll see them extremely serious and extremely focused on the line and, and they had, they need to do that as part of their preparation. So it's funny how, how different every athlete is and you just really have to find what works best for you.

• 18:15Lewis Howes?

  When did you, was there ever a big mistake where you extended too much of your energy where you realized, okay, I've actually got to just not think about the race at all until an hour before? Was there a big?

• 18:25Speaker 01

  Yeah, when I was younger, when I was younger, I had a real hard time channeling my energy and visual and, and, and saving it for when it counted. And it's gotten better and better. Um, you know, as I've aged and, and put things in perspective. And there are actually situations now where I'll be, you know, Getting ready to race and I won't have any nervous uh energy or any adrenaline and I have to kind of like remind myself how big, how important it is. Yeah, I have to hype myself up now and I'll be listening to, you know, um, music that'll pump me up and, and chewing on some run gum and getting myself fully caffeinated and trying to amp myself up for the, for the fight. Cause at this point I've seen so much and I know how, how important or unimportant certain events are, but sometimes you

• 19:07Speaker 01

  need that. And then I know I need that, that uh, that adrenaline to perform my very best. So it, it, it's a lot about just channeling your, your energy and, and being the best athlete that you can be on that day.

• 19:19Lewis Howes?

  It's like a dance. It's like you gotta know how much energy, when to bring it out of yourself. It's like, you really gotta dance with it. So you don't expend too much. I mean, again, like a quarter of a second could be a tenth of a second, you could lose it all, you know, it could be the difference between.

• 19:32Speaker 01

  I mean, most of our races, yeah, making the team or not is separated by less than a quarter of a second. So it's, it's an unforgiving sport in that way, but if you are one of the athletes that have, has learned how to really control your energy and, and meter it out through rounds and uh, and in the race, you know, that, that can definitely be a huge advantage.

• 19:51Lewis Howes?

  Hmm. What's your favorite race?

• 19:56Speaker 01

  Uh, event or, or actual competition?

• 19:59Lewis Howes?

  Uh, the event. Yes, sorry.

• 20:01Speaker 01

  Uh, definitely eight hundred. I mean, I do have a love for the miles because most people don't really know what an eight hundred meter is, but they say, oh, well, what's your fastest mile? And so even though my one forty-two eight uh, eight hundred time is much more competitive than my mile best, if I say I've run three fifty-six for the mile, that seems to kind of disturb people a little bit more.

• 20:20Lewis Howes?

  Right, right. Man, that's insane. Three fifty-six for sixteen hundred?

• 20:24Speaker 01

  For sixteen hundred and nine meters, actually, a full mile.

• 20:26Lewis Howes?

  Oh my gosh. Three fifty-six. That's insane, man. I ran in the decathlon, in the fifteen hundred, I think my best. Again, this is after two days. It was like a four fifty-four or something like that, but that was.

• 20:38Speaker 01

  Good running though. Yeah, it's still good running.

• 20:40Lewis Howes?

  That's hard for, I mean, that's, that's slow for a fifteen hundred compared to what you're doing with another hundred meters. Uh, that's crazy, man. Three fifty-six. That's crazy. Uh, but one forty-two is insane. What is that? One of the um, in the, in the US record books, is that top three?

• 20:56Speaker 01

  It's the third fastest time, yeah. Third fastest time ever by an American.

• 20:59Lewis Howes?

  What's the, what's the record?

• 21:01Speaker 01

  Um, the record is one forty-two six by Johnny Gray.

• 21:05Lewis Howes?

  And you're one forty-two, what are you?

• 21:06Speaker 01

  Nine.

• 21:07Lewis Howes?

  Oh, my goodness.

• 21:08Speaker 01

  I'm close.

• 21:10Lewis Howes?

  Oh, my gosh, it's so close. What's the, is that the goal to beat that eventually?

• 21:16Speaker 01

  Yeah, I'd like to. I ran my one forty-two ninety-five at the London Olympic Finals, and that's another, you know, if that's a perfect hit, it's just saying, hey, there's so much on the line and bringing your best product at the very highest stage of the game. I don't know that I can call upon an effort like that in any other situation. So if I'm ever going to get that record, I feel like it has to be in the Olympic final in Rio next year.

• 21:38Lewis Howes?

  Hmm, that's crazy, man. So if you can, walk us through the visualization process you had with the recent national championships, if you can remember what it was.

• 21:48Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 21:48Lewis Howes?

  Ten minutes before the race and then, um, and even the night before, do you do any visualization the night before, the morning of, or is it all?

• 21:56Speaker 01

  Well, it's funny. Yeah, I do. I do work with a sports psychologist and a lot of it's just about staying out of my own way. And so, you know, when self doubt creeps in, we just try to like squash it because I don't, I don't think there's a more toxic uh, thing in this entire world than self doubt. And we do everything to just kind of talk or wrap my mind around getting, getting outside the self, self doubt spirals. So, you know, as I was coming into this US championship, I think I only had the fifteenth fastest time. And that wouldn't even put me in the finals, you know? And, and so we were just talking about how over the last nine, 10 years, my body's always found a way to get through the championships rounds better than anyone else.

• 22:34Speaker 01

  And I don't know if it's, if it's just the way that my body's built or the way that my mind handle is, it handles it or the way that the rounds prepare my body. But I always find myself feeling better in the third of three rounds. We actually run three round series. So the third race, um, in four days, I feel better than the first one. So, and that's, it's kind of unusual, actually. Most athletes kind of feel worse and worse through the rounds. So I, I, I kind of just shook my head and I say, I'm not going to doubt myself or my competitors for that matter. But just know that, that I will feel better throughout the rounds. And, and maybe I, and I thought maybe I would even set a season best three each round. And that's ultimately what I ended up doing. I had to run my fastest time of the season through each round to keep advancing and ultimately win it.

• 23:18Lewis Howes?

  Oh, my goodness. And what was the final, uh, time?

• 23:21Speaker 01

  I won it in one forty-four five.

• 23:23Lewis Howes?

  Wow. Two seconds.

• 23:26Speaker 01

  It was a season best. It was two second. It was a second and a half off my personal best, but it more more importantly, it was it was almost a two second best from my the time that I run to qualify for it. So it was really a case of bringing an A plus product when it counts. And at this point, like I said, I've only got so many efforts. So I'm glad I was able to call upon it at the US championship.

• 23:48Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 23:49Speaker 01

  And now I've got it. Now that I qualified for the world championships in Beijing, I thought I, you know, again, regroup and save that that energy for when it counts out there.

• 23:56Lewis Howes?

  Sure. And so walk me through, what does your sports psychologist say, you know, before you the meet or what's the process that you go through specifically in your mind or physically?

• 24:08Speaker 01

  For me, you know, I'm one of those athletes where I kind of just got to let my body do what it does and get my brain out of the way. So a lot of it's just, you know, talking about.

• 24:16Lewis Howes?

  Do you have a mantra? Or do you have like a saying that you say to yourself or anything like that?

• 24:19Speaker 01

  You know, my new mantra has been, don't worry about anything unless, you know, there's something to actually worry about because I'm kind of a warrior by nature. And I just kind of realized that, you know, nine times out of 10, I'll spend all this energy worrying about something and the issue ultimately resolves itself without any of my input or any of any of my actions. And it's so funny that I spend all this energy worrying about something when the situation's going to resolve itself. So I don't longer, I do everything I can now not to worry about the issues until a serious problem is actually, you know, on my plate. And then I'll then I'll worry about it and I'll address it. But I think that that's especially if you're a warrior like myself or someone that extends energy, you know, fretting about things. And that's a that's really powerful to not to just kind of let

• 25:02Speaker 01

  it go and say, this isn't it. This this could turn into a problem, but right now it's not. And I'm not going to expend energy worrying about it.

• 25:09Lewis Howes?

  Hmm. And how do you handle a loss?

• 25:12Speaker 01

  Depending on the loss. I mean, there are some, you know, more than others. If I lose in an exhibition race, I kind of just shrug it off. I say, all right, that that's me at 95%, but I know what I can do at 100%. When I lost in London and ran 142.9.

• 25:27Speaker 01

  For fifth place, that one forty-two nine would win an Olympic gold medal in every single Olympic Games except Athens, it would have taken silver. That was a hard loss to swallow because I, I really, I got done with that race and I sat down and looked at my legs and I said, that is the fastest I can run. That is the greatest product that I have ever, ever brought and it still wasn't good enough. And the fact that it would have been good enough in every other Olympic Games just made it that much worse. And to be honest, I had to take about two or three months off after that to regroup and, and, and learn to love running again. It just seems so cruel and unfair. But, uh, that's the sport, you know, and you get, you have some amazing highs and some amazing lows, but at the end of the day, you're living this lifestyle that

• 26:10Speaker 01

  lets you see the world and, and you really connect with your body and just, you know, I, I don't think there's a better way to, you could spend a day than just working out and hanging out with your friends and eating whatever you want to and traveling the world. So I, I feel very blessed.

• 26:25Lewis Howes?

  That's pretty cool. Uh, okay. So it took you a few months to get back into it. Was your body, you know, broken down as well? Or is it more mentally, emotionally broken down?

• 26:32Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think more, more than anything emotionally. Um, I was in great shape, but just the thought of going out and training, you know, we run about anywhere from eight to 10 miles a day. And you have to really want something to put your body through that day in and day out. And I, you know, after the hunt, and I just thought, why am I doing this? Like I could be out having fun like all my other friends. I could be living a carefree life and going out and drinking and traveling and doing whatever I want. And instead going to bed at nine thirty to wake up and run 10 miles. And, uh, for two or three months I did, I'd live that lifestyle. Just kind of goofed around, hiked a lot, fished a lot, drank a lot of beers. But then you get to a point where you miss that, that focus, you know, that, that being, being accountable and being responsible for something.

• 27:15Speaker 01

  And, and I'm responsible for my training, you know, I, I really, it's almost like, it's almost like a child, you know, not, not even close, but it is this thing, this living thing that you have to take care of and manage every single day. And it's not just a nine to five. This is a lifestyle. This is a way of life that you have to, every single day be conscious about taking care of.

• 27:35Lewis Howes?

  And did I hear you, you got started in track and field for a girl?

• 27:39Speaker 01

  Uh, yeah, I got, well, I started in running for a girl. So I was a soccer player growing up and I remember one, one summer day, we were at the pool and these two girls that I, I thought they were both very cute, but I had a specific crush on one of them. Um, they, they said they just signed up for the cross-country team and I laughed at them. I said, why would anybody want to run for fun? And they giggled and they invited me out. And so just to spend time with them, I decided to sign up for the cross-country team as well. And I absolutely hated practice, but I loved that they were co-ed and I think at the time I was 13 or 14, I loved spending time with, you know, these girls and, and the guys on the team. I loved running with them too. So I think that sense of camaraderie and that, that sense of being part of a team and just the, the fun,

• 28:21Speaker 01

  the fun times that we had. I had a really great, um, high school coach by a guy named Tom, Tom Shanahan that made it fun and made kids want to come out and run for fun. That, uh, that's kind of what kept me coming back for more, even though, even though I'd shake on my head and be like, we should be out playing soccer. Or doing something other than running intervals from the hot side of the club.

• 28:41Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, it's pretty boring. I'm, I'm curious now, if you would have never had that crush on those girls, would you be an Olympian?

• 28:48Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think that, uh, I think that you, I always thought about that, you know, like running, running was going to find me one way or another. And if it wasn't to go out to be with these girls, it would have been, uh, you know, watching my sister run track and field and wanting to, wanting, you know, to see what I could do. I've always been, you know, kind of a curious guy and I wanted to do everything. So when I was growing up, I, I played three sports every season. I'm, I'm not even joking. It was always soccer, ice hockey, hunting, fishing, golfing, you know, I, I did every single sport. So at some point I was going to run. And my, my body is, is, as crazy as it sounds, it was, it was born to run the half mile. It's just what it does.

• 29:31Speaker 01

  I can't run a mile real well. I mean, I, I can run it okay, but not on a world-class level and I can't run much for 400. Uh, I can barely run a K or six. My body is made to run exactly 800 meters, not 801, not 799, but 800 meters. And it's, it's really astounding, you know, at this level, how dialed in. Your body becomes and you know, you you you you take another guy and we might look exactly the same, but he is born to run a mile or 400, for example. And there's something about the way that your ligaments and tendons connect with your bones and the way your heart and your lungs pump your your blood and it just all dials in for for one specific event. And that's one of the things I love about track and field is I almost feel like there's

• 30:14Speaker 01

  an event for everybody because there are so many events and they're built for so many different body types. You could, I'm I'm I'm on a, you know, Team USA and I'm sitting there having dinner with a guy who's 300 pounds, you know, 6'7" hammer thrower. And then you look to your left and there's a girl and she might weigh 100 pounds and she's a marathoner and you just laugh at how cool that team is, how diverse it is and how all inclusive it is. There's a, there really is an event for everybody.

• 30:39Lewis Howes?

  Hmm. And how do you define yourself as an athlete or something else?

• 30:44Speaker 01

  I primarily define myself as a businessman and I love entrepreneurial business. And when I think about my job as a runner, I don't think about myself as a professional athlete so much as I think about myself as an entertainer and a marketer. So my business is really entertainment and marketing. And I I I actually wrote a book, my book's titled Life Outside the Oval Office. And that's really talking about how I approach my job. So, you know, we call the the track an oval and that's that's my office. So outside the oval office is how I run my business and and it's approaching it from this mindset that I'm an entertainer and a businessman where I've said I've never once been paid to run, even though I'm a professional runner, I've never once been paid to run.

• 31:29Speaker 01

  My salary comes from my sponsors, you know, Brooks Running is my chief sponsor. They they provide me with apparel and shoes and and the living stipend and my job is to market their products, you know, Solis Timing is is my watch partner. And then when I'm racing in an in an exhibition event, I'm I'm marketing the, you know, what that was on my bib. Exactly, the company that sponsored the event. So in that sense, you know, really what I do is marketing.

• 31:56Lewis Howes?

  Interesting. Now, when you win events, is there any prize money on any of these?

• 32:02Speaker 01

  Oftentimes, yeah.

• 32:03Lewis Howes?

  So you'll make some money.

• 32:04Speaker 01

  The way we make the majority of our income is there's three different revenue streams. One is through sponsors. The other one is through prize money that you'll you can earn it at certain events. And then the other one is something we call appearance fees. So if you built your brand up big enough that you have a good following and you'll fill seats, then sometimes media directors will actually give you money just to show up. And and race and they can use your name in their marketing. So.

• 32:29Lewis Howes?

  But unless you're saying Bolt, not many people are getting an appearance fee.

• 32:32Speaker 01

  No, not many people get appearance fees. You know, Bolt pulls down six figures every time he steps in the track just an appearance fees alone. So that's a guy I'd fill seats. There are there are some smaller needs that I can command an appearance fee for, but the vast majority of my income comes from sponsors. And that's how most Americans are, you know, this has been a big issue for me in the past. Most foreign, most of my foreign competitors get support from their government, you know, a lot of support. It's called being carded in some countries and you get, you know, monthly stipends to live off of. And and one of my friends had an apartment bought for him and his family by the country. The US government doesn't give us almost anything. I mean, very, very minimal support. So all of all, if you're.

• 33:12Lewis Howes?

  If you're food when you're traveling or something.

• 33:15Speaker 01

  Yeah, exactly. If you're watching Team USA, those athletes, they only get to where they're at through corporate sponsorships. So again, you know, that's why I'll always shout out my sponsors. I would not be a professional runner without Brooks running today. They are the ones that get me to US championships healthy. They're the ones that give me these great shoes to train in. And ultimately, they're the ones that allow me to go home every night and and know that I have my own, all I have to do is like train, I can train a hundred percent. With a hundred percent of my energy, knowing that they're going to support me.

• 33:46Lewis Howes?

  Amazing. Yeah, I'm a I'm on I'm currently on the USA National Handball Team and you know, there is essentially negative funding for us. So I've been on the team for.

• 33:55Speaker 01

  Same thing. Yeah.

• 33:56Lewis Howes?

  And I pay all my travel to get to, you know, training camp. I pay for all my gear, you know, they'll give us some like jerseys every now and then and a couple of practice shorts or whatever. But I pay for my shoes. I pay for everything and it's, you know, it's expensive. It's really expensive to.

• 34:11Speaker 01

  It is. It is. Yeah.

• 34:12Lewis Howes?

  To be in that dream and just to.

• 34:14Speaker 01

  Well, and that's, that's why what's so appalling is, is every four years or every two years, I guess you watch your, your US Olympic team and we've got some great athletes that are out there winning medals for our country and many of them live, they live below the poverty line.

• 34:28Lewis Howes?

  Yes.

• 34:28Speaker 01

  And they operate in the red each year so that they can go out, you know, and, and live their dreams, but, but they're, they're part of this five billion dollar entity that has the Olympic Games, five billion dollars exchanging hands. And the athletes get absolutely none of it. And that's so wrong. And I'm, I've, I've thought it before and I'm going to continue fighting it, but it's, it's just so appalling that the IOC and all of the sponsors and the vendors all make so much money and the athletes walk away with nothing. So I'm,

• 34:56Lewis Howes?

  Why is it still that model? Why do they still do that?

• 34:59Speaker 01

  Uh, because there are so many athletes that, that are, are willing to do it for free and it's a shame. Or, or it's because they have great funding from their, their countries. But again, Americans, we get almost nothing from our country. So, uh, I, I feel that, that that model is outdated and, and I, I intend to change it. I do, I intend to do everything that I can to change that.

• 35:20Lewis Howes?

  You've been very outspoken your whole career about this and about, you know, sponsorships. And I think even one time I read that, you know, you had an eBay auction for a sponsor to have a, uh, not a permanent tattoo, but a temporary tattoo on your shoulder. Is that right?

• 35:34Speaker 01

  Yeah. In 2012, to protest the fact that USOCE and IOC were going to make me cover up, you know, my sponsored logos, um, I actually auctioned off my left shoulder, two square inches of real estate space there, ad advertising space on eBay. Partially just to see what kind of interest there'd be and partially because it's got to be a fun way to interact with my fans. Uh, but, but mainly as a form of protest, because in the auction, I said, I'm going to have to take over this advertisement during the US trials and during the Olympic Games. And then people were appalled that I had to do that. Um, but ultimately I ended up, um, partnering with a company that won the auction and received a check for 11,100 dollars from Hanson Dodge Creative,

• 36:14Speaker 01

  which is a marketing PR firm based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And it was just such a, it's such a classic example that when, you know, when you take a risk and, and are, and aim to do the right thing, you know, such good things can happen to you. And this was such a fortuitous, uh, moment when, when they, they won the bid because I ended up. We ended up creating, you know, tens of thousands of dollars worth of content that benefited them and benefited me and raised a lot of awareness about the plight of the average Olympian. And it was just a really, really fun way to interact with the media and interact with my fans that then ultimately, you know, raised this, this, this issue that the IOC is getting rich on, you know, the labor of, of what I call indentured servants, you know, where we're indebted or they are indebted to us. We are the ones putting on the show. You couldn't

• 36:59Speaker 01

  have the show without the athletes and it's unforgivable to not compensate the athletes for their hard work.

• 37:04Lewis Howes?

  I agree. And what happened when you had that temporary tattoo on? Did they still have to cover it up? Didn't I hear that?

• 37:11Speaker 01

  Yeah. So at, at both the US Olympic trials and the games, I had to put tape over it. That was, that was their answer. Just put tape over it if it, if it doesn't match up to what their strict rules.

• 37:21Lewis Howes?

  Wow. And that actually got more press, right?

• 37:23Speaker 01

  If you look at pictures or, sorry.

• 37:25Lewis Howes?

  That actually got more press because people were like, what's under the tape?

• 37:27Speaker 01

  Yeah. Everyone's like, why is this kid running around with a piece of duct tape on his shoulder? But, but which allows me to plug Hanson Dodge every time they ask me that. So, um, you know, and I'm, I'm very seriously contemplating doing the same thing in 2016. So, you know, if you follow me on social media, I'm at Nick Simmons on Twitter, at Nick Simmons on Instagram. And, uh, and come January, I might be back on eBay. We'll have to see.

• 37:52Lewis Howes?

  Wow. Maybe I'll, uh, I'll sponsor for my book launch that comes out later this year.

• 37:56Speaker 01

  Perfect. Yeah.

• 37:58Lewis Howes?

  That's incredible. Now I also saw that, uh, you're pretty vocal against anti-gay laws, uh, especially in Moscow during the 2013 world championships. Can you talk about your dedication for the silver medal that you won?

• 38:12Speaker 01

  Yeah. Well, I just remember, um, you know, probably around the late 2000s, this, this idea of gay marriage suddenly started creeping into pop culture and, and everyone was talking about it. And it just, it just seemed like such a no brainer to me. How are you going to give two, two Americans certain rights and not to other Americans? And I think to a lot of people in my generation, it just didn't make sense. It was so, so, so clear that everyone gets the same rights. And so I was pretty vocal about that here on US soil and it had a lot of, um, a lot of support, uh, in, in both communities, gay and the straight community. And a lot of my, my, um, followers that identified as, as gay, they said, what are you going to do when you go to Moscow for the world championships because Moscow had recently passed some pretty

• 38:56Speaker 01

  harsh legislation that, um, was very unkind to people identified as gay or transgendered or, or anything really. Um, and, and I said, you know, my job out here is to, is to win a medal. And I guess that wasn't a good answer, but it was the answer I needed to give at the time. I needed to be focused on, on my job, which was to win a medal. But once I'd won a medal, I, I wanted to make it mean more than just me selfishly running and seeing how fast I could be. I wanted to utilize that platform to get a message across. And so I dedicated that silver medal to my gay and lesbian friends who were fighting challenges, you know, domestically and abroad. And, um, I guess I was the first athlete to kind of renounce those new laws on US soil and the fact that this was six months before SOCHI

• 39:41Speaker 01

  caught a lot of, uh, attention in the media. So again, I was just, just felt like it was something that needed to be said and, and was happy to play a very, very small, uh, role in, in, you know, bringing that awareness to, to, um, the, the public. And, and then when we, when they, when SCOTUS passed the, uh, the new, the new law or the new amendment that said that, you know, equal, equal rights for everybody, um, in the US and, and for marriage equality. What a, I mean, what a great day for America. It was just so, so awesome. But you got to remember there are, are still dozens of countries throughout the world where it is punishable by death to be homosexual. And it's just, uh, it's just unbelievable. And, and so even though we are making, you know, big steps here in,

• 40:23Speaker 01

  in the US, there's a lot of battles that still need to be fought throughout the world for equality.

• 40:28Lewis Howes?

  What's your words of wisdom to maybe a young athlete who's, you know, maybe they're in track and field, maybe not, but they're, they don't have the prototypical build or, or body like, uh, you know, some of the, a lot of the athletes that you compete against. And maybe they're not sure about, you know, what the right sport or event for them, or if they're even great, or if they have the potential to be great. What's some advice to give for a young athlete who's in uncertainty?

• 40:57Speaker 01

  Yeah, I just start by saying from the very first day I started playing sports, people told me I was too small, or now they say I'm too big, or I'm too short, or I'm too white. I had every single sport I've ever attempted, I've been to something that doesn't allow me to be good at it. And in track and field, you know, D1 coaches used to say, you know, I just can't take that risk on a, on a short, stocky white kid from Idaho. You know, I, you know, I just took that, it's so offensive, you know, it's like, you never know what an athlete is capable of. And, and most certainly, the athlete themselves doesn't even know what they're capable of. So my, my, my two big things are try everything, because I promise that everybody's good at something and you don't even know it is.

• 41:39Speaker 01

  I didn't start running until kind of later in life, but it wasn't until I realized that I wasn't going to be a pro hockey player, or I wasn't going to be a pro soccer player, or I wasn't going to be a pro golfer. I, I had to eliminate all those and then all of a sudden, I found running and, or it found me finally. And so I encouraged everybody to try everything because you're, every, everybody is an athlete and everybody is going to be good at something. You just don't know what it is. It may be badminton, it may be curling, it may be some sport that you've never even heard of yet. But there, there are so many great opportunities out there and sports such a wonderful way to learn about life and to learn about yourself. You've got to, I think you've got to try them on and ultimately one is going to choose you.

• 42:19Lewis Howes?

  What's been the greatest moment, most proud moment for you over the last two decades?

• 42:24Speaker 01

  Uh, boy, this is a tough question. Uh, you know, graduating from college was a big one for me. Simply because I, I didn't love college. I wanted to drop out pretty much every day of the four years that I spent in college. I saw college as getting in the way of some of the other things that I wanted to do in life. And, um, the fact that I was able to persevere and see it through, I'm just proud of myself for finishing what I started. Um, you know, running's been easy. Running is something that, that I wanted to do. It's something that I did for free for four years in college and, and, uh, was willing to make so many sacrifices because I wanted to do it so bad. I wanted to see how good I could get. So making my first Olympic team is a very, very proud moment,

• 43:06Speaker 01

  but it doesn't have the same sense of perseverance and sacrifice that maybe graduating from college did. So those are my two proudest accomplishments, making, making my first Olympic team and graduating college, but for two very different reasons.

• 43:18Lewis Howes?

  At the end of your track career and professional racing career, what would you want people to say about you and what would you want to have accomplished that you haven't accomplished yet?

• 43:29Speaker 01

  Well, I'd like, I'd like to be remembered as one of the most consistent competitors and, you know, no matter what I want, I would like people to say when, when Nick Simmons showed up to a championship race, whether he was ranked one or last coming in, you, you always knew he was a threat. And I think I've done a good job of that. I'd also like to remember, be remembered probably more importantly than as a, as a good competitor, as consistent competitor, as a guy who fought for the rights of his fellow athletes. Um, I just, I just feel that the athletes are, are absolutely bullied and tried upon and

• 44:08Speaker 01

  we're operating, um, under the rules and guidelines of governing bodies that, that take almost every single dollar and need very little left for the athletes and uh, you've been, and even long after I'm done competing, I'm going to continue to fight for the rights of athletes because the way that the, the business model setup right now is so unfair and, and so unkind and unhelpful for athletes. It's wrong and I'm going to do everything I can to change it.

• 44:32Lewis Howes?

  That's powerful. Yeah. It, it reminds me a lot of UFC, you know, the athletes in UFC don't really make much and it's all dictated based on the sponsorships that are, you know, the UFC get or whatever. And a couple of my friends who are in there say it's a, it's a grind and a struggle and they pretty much own everything about you. So.

• 44:48Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 44:49Lewis Howes?

  It's tough, man. It's real tough.

• 44:51Speaker 01

  All right.

• 44:51Lewis Howes?

  It's, it's, I'm glad to hear that you're going to be the one, uh, leading the charge for many years to come.

• 44:56Speaker 01

  Well, I'll do what I can.

• 44:58Lewis Howes?

  What do you see yourself doing after your complete, whenever that is?

• 45:03Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's a great question. So, you know, I've been, been, it's funny. People have been asking me, what are you going to do when you're done running, you know, for better part of a decade now. And I kind of always was this, was this athlete that, that wanted to have this seamless transition between professional running life and, and, and after running life and. As an entrepreneur, I was presented with a pretty unique opportunity to partner with my coach, who's a fellow entrepreneur, and create a company recently. And this company is called RunGum. And what we do is we've manufactured gum that's fortified with caffeine, taurine, and B vitamins, which are all shown to have performance-enhancing effects on endurance athletes. And this company, we launched in October 14.

• 45:45Speaker 01

  And it's just taken off, and it's been fun to grow this business with my coach. And I know that this business needs my attention. And as it grows, it's going to need my attention more and more. But RunGum's been in business for nine months. We've sold a lot of gum. You can buy it online at rungum.com. And you can follow us on social media, at RunGum. But that's what I see myself doing, is entrepreneurial business, and in particular, growing our company RunGum.

• 46:11Lewis Howes?

  Nice, yeah, I see I'm on the website right now. There's a big picture of you flexing your muscles after a win.

• 46:18Speaker 01

  Yeah, that was the win at the US Championships. Yeah, and the fact that I was covered in RunGum tattoos certainly helped.

• 46:25Lewis Howes?

  I like it, very cool. I'll have to try some out with my next run. I'm a very, I run about three to three and a half miles, you know, a few times a week, just to try to keep my body in shape. So I get exhausted from that, so I'll have to get some on my next.

• 46:38Speaker 01

  Man, you need some RunGum. So essentially, everything that's in an energy drink is in that packet of gum. So caffeine, taurine, and B vitamins. The advantage here is that you don't have to digest anything. So it hits you five times faster for sublingual absorption, without any heavy or acidic liquid in your stomach. So if you're an endurance athlete, or even if you're just someone on the go in the afternoons, someone that needs a little boost, RunGum is your answer.

• 47:03Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, because if you've got to drink a, you know, a recovery drink, or a Powerade, or whatever it is, you've got all this extra weight in your stomach. It's sloshing around, you know, you might want to throw it up. If you're pushing too hard, you might have to throw it up, you know. You can't really consume that much during that endurance race. You've got to take little sips, right?

• 47:19Speaker 01

  When I need my energy, usually it's to perform, you know, on the track or in an endurance athletic competition. I don't want anything in my stomach, but I need those stimulants to perform at my best. So that was the idea behind RunGum, is to take the stimulants that we love in energy drinks or energy shots. And let's get them into the system in a way that's that's quicker and and more effective than through uh through digestion. So um people who people who are caffeine addicts like myself love it. It's a little bit different um caffeine boost than than what you're used to, whereas if you're sipping on an energy drink or coffee, you kind of slowly dial up that caffeine jolt. If you two run dumb, you're gonna go zero to a hundred in a couple minutes. So it really is that kick in the pants to get you out the door and get you running or

• 48:04Speaker 01

  um or bring you to that level of of amp, you know, energy that allows you to to tap into the the best athlete that you can be and make the most out of your workout.

• 48:14Lewis Howes?

  Sure, yeah. Uh, got a couple of questions left for you before we wrap up. One is, what are you most grateful for recently?

• 48:22Speaker 01

  Recently? Um, that's good. I'm the most, the thing I'm most grateful for recently is my relationship with Brooks. Uh, I had been partnered with Nike for uh about, I guess it was close to eight years and, you know, I I'm always grateful for what Nike did. They took a chance on a little Division three guy coming out of school. And and I and they set me up in Eugene, Oregon, which had been my home for seven or eight years. And um, I really loved loved being a part of the team, the Oregon Track Club Elite, they set up down there. But I knew that so I felt that my career was really coming to an end or my relationship with Nike was coming to an end. And and I thought that meant that my career was coming to an end. But when when I started

• 49:01Speaker 01

  um, speaking with the the people up at Brooks Running and visiting Seattle and learning about the the company they call themselves, the Run Happy Running Company, uh, I found this new renewed sense of passion for running and the lifestyle and and I really truly contemplated retirement, um, once once my contract with Nike expired. But having moved up here to Seattle recently and worked with the the men and women at Brooks Running, it it it's truly given me um two or three, maybe more years of of competitive running that I didn't think I had in myself.

• 49:32Lewis Howes?

  That's great. That's awesome. I'm curious about relationships and the drive. How is it being in relationships or you know, how is it having a girlfriend or being in a relationship? While you're so competitive and focused on one vision. Are you able to really connect with someone or be in relationships over the last decade? Or is it more tabled so you can put all of your energy into this vision?

• 49:58Speaker 01

  That's a really great question and it's been, it's one that's been really tough for me. I think that to be the best athlete you can be is a selfish endeavor. And I've also thought that I don't want to aspire to be a selfish boyfriend or selfish husband. So for me, personal relationships have kind of been tabled while I was really focusing on being the best athlete I could be in. I've tried to make a few relationships work and ultimately no one wants to feel second in, you know, to, to someone's career. So that's really hard for me, but it also provides this like really cool way to look at it or approach the sport. That I've made sacrifices, but when I do decide to retire, there's all these other aspects of life that I can really turn myself into.

• 50:40Speaker 01

  And I think that running has taught me a lot of lessons about sacrifice and about dedicating oneself, you know, to a person or to a goal or to a cause. And I like to think that I could be a really great boyfriend or husband and, and know what it takes to, to make something. You know, like a relationship is a lot of work and I know how to work hard. I think I could be a very, very good partner to somebody, but I don't think I can be that person until I'm done running.

• 51:07Lewis Howes?

  Wow. Do you think it's possible for other people to give a hundred percent to the sport at the level that you do? Or, you know, any, any sport and be a, have a successful marriage or a relationship?

• 51:20Speaker 01

  I think that everybody's different and some people find that having the, the, not only say distractions, but having the multiple interests allow them to maybe. Have the support they need or have the distraction that they need from their primary objective, you know, whether that's running or if their primary objective is their marriage. Maybe they're running, maybe they complement each other, you know, better than they just they do distract from each other. But for me personally.

• 51:44Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, it depends on partner as well.

• 51:45Speaker 01

  Exactly. It definitely a partner depends on who you are and how you guys work together. I just knew that for me personally, I needed to be selfish and I was very selfish in my twenties and now into my early thirties, I've been very selfish and doing whatever it takes to be the very best athlete I can be. And I have to be honest, I do look forward to the day that I can be a little bit less selfish and actually focus on putting someone else's needs first.

• 52:09Lewis Howes?

  That's cool. Wow. That's awesome. If at the end of the day, that everything that you said, everything you've done, people came down to asking you this question, you know, what are the three things that you've learned, the three things you know to be true about life from all of your experiences? And you could leave people with three things, three truths, what would that be that you would leave?

• 52:32Speaker 01

  Oh, that's good. Yeah, I like it. All right. And I'm, I consider myself a fairly introspective, spiritual person. So I think about these things a lot. First of all, family's everything. I have a really great family. My parents are still together. My sister's about to get married. I'm very close with all of them and family, it's everything. No matter what, when, and then family's not just blood either, you know, my, my coach Sam LaPray and all his kids, they're all family as well. And, you know, in, in good times and in bad, I think we turn to our family to first to celebrate or to get through the tough times. And so that, that's the number one thing that comes to my mind. The second one is that there's

• 53:13Speaker 01

  only, there's literally only one thing it takes to be successful and that's perseverance. Every single successful person I know in every single walk of life has one common characteristic and that's that they persevere because no matter what, you will always have obstacles, you will always have challenges. And the people that rise and overcome those, that persevere through anything that gets thrown their way, they are the ones that are truly successful. And

• 53:41Speaker 01

  The third one, um, well, as an athlete, I'm just gonna go ahead and, and plug athleticism, but exercise every single day. And I'm not saying that you need to go run 10 miles like I do, but there's something about exercising that, that just enhances every single aspect of your life. Food tastes better, um, just walking around or sitting or every single interaction that you have with, with the world around you, um, is enhanced through being active. And maybe your exercise is yoga, maybe it's walking a little bit each day, uh, swimming. I, I don't, I, I always tell people, it doesn't matter what you do, but get out and be active and love this vessel that you've been given, this, this body that

• 54:26Speaker 01

  you've been given, uh, and just, you know, cherish the opportunity to, to interact with your world and, and really, um, you know, really get out there and, and live life to the fullest.

• 54:36Lewis Howes?

  I love those. Thanks for those three. Um,

• 54:39Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 54:39Lewis Howes?

  Final question before I ask, I want to take a moment with all of my guests. I acknowledge them at the end for what opens up for me from the interview. So Nick, I want to acknowledge you for your tenacious consistency, your hustle, your commitment over the years. I think the last decade specifically after college, it's, you know, I know how hard it is to stay in shape and to stay committed to a vision with that physical aspect every single day. And I don't think people understand how hard you actually work. And I probably don't even understand it, but I can get a sense of it, that you are just so committed to your vision, to being the best physical specimen that you can be. And the 800 and

• 55:23Lewis Howes?

  the mile are some of the most grueling, uh, that literally makes you feel like you want to die sometimes when you run those events at the level that you're running them. So I want to acknowledge you for your commitment, for your courage to speak out, which could potentially make you lose sponsorships, could potentially make you not be able to race. Maybe they'll ban you. So I, I want to acknowledge you for that courage that you consistently have to speak out, uh, even with the platform that you have. And I would Acknowledge you for being a creative entrepreneur during this journey because a lot of athletes don't look about how they can make something on the side or build something on the side and then after they're done, they have nothing.

• 56:03Lewis Howes?

  And they live off the glory days. So I acknowledge you for your, your courage, your wisdom, your tenacious commitment and for being an incredible human being.

• 56:14Speaker 01

  Thanks so much, man.

• 56:15Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. And my final question is, what's your definition of greatness?

• 56:22Speaker 01

  What's my definition of greatness? Purpose, honestly, I used to think that it was happiness and you know, happiness is fleeting, it comes and goes, it's, it's something to be, you know, strive for, but, but having a sense of purpose is, is probably the most important definition of greatness. And I was unable to learn that lesson until I got injured last year and lost my sense of purpose. And whether your purpose is to wake up in the morning and be the best athlete you can be, or be the best husband you can be, or the best father. Everybody needs to have that sense of purpose. And I'm grateful to have my, my sense of purpose back as an entrepreneur, as a brother and a son and, and as a runner.

• 57:04Lewis Howes?

  Nick Simmons, thanks so much for coming on and sharing your wisdom, my man. I appreciate it.

• 57:08Speaker 01

  Thank you so much. Great question.

• 57:12Lewis Howes?

  And there you have it, guys. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Again, if you did like it, make sure to head back to our show notes at lewishouse.com/205. Share this with your friends. If you have any athlete friends who would be inspired by Nick's mindset and his vision and his entrepreneurial spirit, then make sure to share this with your athlete friends. Any entrepreneurial friends that want to learn how someone who is living at such a high level in something in their life, in, in sports, is able to do something else on the side and create creative ways to bring in money for himself, then make sure to share that with your friends as well. LewisHowes.com/205.

• 57:49Lewis Howes?

  Again, thank you guys so much. We've got some big interviews coming soon. We do this every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so please subscribe if this is your first time on the podcast. Leave us a review over on iTunes. ...tunes or on Stitcher and tell your friends about it. Let your friends know to listen to the episode and to the podcast. Again, LewisHowes.com/205. Thank you all so much. You know what time it is. It's time to go out there and do something great.