From Boardroom to Boxing Ring: Stephanie Sollers

“When I really want to go all out, I walk up at Tao Nightclub to order my Hong Kong noodles and orange chicken”. Nightclubs and Chinese takeout are two things you wouldn’t normally associate with a professional boxer, but this boxer is different. This boxer is Stephanie Sollers. Sweatsuits, silk robes and men with bullish personalities are things we more commonly associate with boxing, but not a self-starting CEO, young mum and ferocious foodie. This is what makes Steph Sollers a leader in defying the norm.

“What’s been your proudest achievement?”

“I won the California State Golden Gloves Championship back in April, it’s been four years in the making. After nearly two years of training, my original fight in 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic. I then spent my time deep in food tech at CloudKitchens, Doordash, and most recently, as CEO of Virtual Dining Concepts” – which is famous for setting up multi million dollar creator brands like MrBeast Burger and Pardon My Cheesesteak. “During this time, I hardly boxed at all due to my work and becoming a mom. It was this time last year that I decided to complete what I started in 2020 with the Gloves, but now as a mother! As a mum you’re sick all the time, so that was a big challenge for my preparation. By the time the Gloves rolled around this year, I was actually sick as a dog for the fight, but I wasn’t letting anything get in the way this time – not a global pandemic or the flu!”, Steph tells me.

“That sounds like a lot to juggle with lots of external considerations beyond the training and the fight itself, let alone winning the fight?!”.

“It was a lot but honestly it was amazing I even had the chance to get back in the ring. I didn’t think it would be possible. After having a traumatic birth with my son, I struggled mentally for a while. Then there’s obviously the physical impact you need to overcome before getting fighting fit again – especially after being over 200 lbs after having Felix. Once I got my head around things I made a series of decisions to let nothing get in the way, not letting external factors get to me and hone in on the things that I could control. I made an active decision to finish that fight no matter what life threw at me. I decided to not be sick, to not get tired, to not be injured. I decided to not let that doubt enter that ring with me”.

“It sounds like you’ve really mastered mindfulness. What are some of the things you do before setting out to achieve something?”

“I’ve consistently written myself a letter before big moments like a fight, or even when I found out I was pregnant. I recommend it to anyone that’s setting out to achieve something – whether that’s a big meeting, a family milestone – whatever it is, write a letter to capture how you feel right before it happens. I think there’s this time capsule of the work being done and how you feel in that very moment before it’s shared with anyone else. I’m very grateful to have these letters to reflect on later. You can capture the pureness of how you feel before someone else tells you how you feel!”

"I really believe that nerves mean something is important to you, and sport teaches you to RUN towards those fears, not run away”

As we’re chatting, I pick up on this winner’s mentality Steph exudes. It’s as if it’s embossed in her DNA, but that’s not to say she walks into the ring calm and collected…

“I’m a mess! I’m an absolute train wreck. There are certain people in my close circle that know and think it’s hilarious, you know, because I’m comfortable, I’m confident, but before I get into the ring it’s like system failure. I can’t see, I can’t speak, and that’s because I care. I really believe that nerves mean something is important to you, and sport teaches you to RUN towards those fears, not run away”.

I sense there’s a direct link between Steph’s defiant mindset as an athlete, and how it lends itself to her professional success. There’s something I find particularly interesting in this because there seems to be a theme with c-suite executives and sport.

What do a disproportionate number of CEOs have in common? They played sports growing up (and the stats show, with 95% of Fortune 500 CEOs having a background in college sport). Think of the transferable skills; the ability to foster strong relationships with team mates, the practice of discipline, determination and decision-making, the ability to overcome setbacks, to push through exhaustion in mind of a greater goal – these all spill over into the world of the corporate rat-race. But while there are skills we pick up through sport, our goals can still vary. In fact, I learn that Steph’s reasons for participating in sport as a youngster were quite different to her reasons for why she boxes today. She competed at a high level in volleyball and track & field; two sports with just as much demand for discipline, but with certain stereotypes associated with them. If you Google “Women in volleyball…” or “Women in track…” the most common search is around their kit, specifically their shorts. Aerodynamics or not, the policing of female athletes’ bodies is a practice that, while steadily improving, persists.

“I’m 36 now, and I often fight against girls that are 18"

Performance

"I was more driven by societal targets and things outside of performance goals"

The narrative around aesthetics can overshadow the conversation around performance, something not only impacting the respect for women in sport, but also impacting their body-image and longevity in sport. It’s a topic that Steph gets real with me on, “When I think of working out earlier in life, sure I had milestones to hit, but I was more driven by societal targets and things outside of performance goals, like aesthetic goals. My why wasn’t clear and when my why wasn’t clear, achieving physical goals wouldn’t really change how I felt”. I sense there is a story to be told here…

Cast your mind back to 2014, when run clubs were just a thing for the semi-competitive runner wearing a club vest, and group exercise like spinning classes were in their infancy (albeit these were only in the States). “I was working in advertising overseeing all of our sales teams, and that role required entertaining clients at every single turn. Monday through to Sunday, breakfast through to dinner and drinks; it was all to learn about the competitive landscape and literally grow the business into every country we were entering. We were on the road constantly and I was exhausted. It was then that I said to my team we need to draw a line in the sand, we need to shift our entertainment to health and wellness. One of my client executives booked boxing one week, and the clients LOVED it. Not only that, but I loved it”.

“Why do you think you loved it so much compared to the other sports you’d tried?”.

“Boxing removed egos and crafted relationships really quickly. What I loved was that you could have a Chief Strategy Officer of an agency and an Assistant Media Planner in the ring together, and their title no longer mattered, because when you’re thinking about getting hit in the face, job titles no longer matter. Boxing created relationships that I’d never seen before, and it happened so fast”.

Despite being a casual affair to appease clients twice a month, Steph was piqued as a talent by the coaches, moving onto 1 on 1 training sessions and getting exposed to a community which is full of soul and mutual respect for one another. But after a couple of years of “casual boxing” (the way anyone else would do it!) Steph started to question her why and at the same time she was questioning these goals, her greatest mentor – her cousin – passed away from cancer.

“I was devastated. At the same time that happened, I learnt about an organisation called Haymakers For Hope, which was a charity boxing fight for cancer awareness and cancer research. It just felt like ‘this is what I’m supposed to do’. It was a way to pay homage to my cousin and also continue with something I’d developed a passion for in recent years. Of course I tried to sign up, I got injured, I didn’t get into the fight – it wasn’t an easy road to get there. It took two years to eventually compete in November 2019, but it was a magical experience and it solidified what boxing really meant to me. We raised $1.6 million”.

"When I saw my age on the board for Golden Gloves I was 10 years older than my next opponent…”

It’s impressive that Steph discovered a sport so physically demanding and combative later in life whilst juggling a career, and now, a family. Most people pick up on their natural flair for a sport as a youngster and they “get good” because of pushy parents, often parents living vicariously through their children. It’s slightly toxic, so it’s refreshing to hear this story of Steph’s – she “got good” so organically, channelling what was a mentally challenging time into something positive and life changing. “It’s interesting you bring up the timeline, because I’m 36 now, and I often fight against girls that are 18. That’s something I’ve really had to grapple with and talked to my coach a lot about. When I saw my age on the board for Golden Gloves I was 10 years older than my next opponent…”.

“Do you think it would be different if you had those extra years on your opponent?” I ask.

“I wouldn’t have been mature enough or ready to give boxing what it needs if I started when I was younger, it takes more than just turning up to training to get good and win fights. The thing is, you’re on your own in the ring. There’s no team, there’s no subbing out – you are completely exposed. It is the honest truth of what you came with and you work with that. You can’t fake it. With my age and life experience, I’m now able to take a mature approach to training. I take it seriously, and I wouldn’t have been mature enough or have built my schedule like that if I was 18. I have to remind myself of that every time I step in the ring with someone that’s half my age – HALF my age! This is a reminder to people that you’re on your own timeline and you can’t compare where you’re at to where someone else is”.

harmony

“How do you juggle it all?”

“I stepped down as a CEO of Virtual Dining Concepts in December. Being CEO of a business making $100 million in revenue was no small feat, but I really had to think, ‘Is this what I’m passionate about?’. I’m now a board member of the company, and of course I’m an active mum. When I think about my life today, it’s much more about finding harmony in being myself and not being driven by external factors or titles – it’s much more about truly knowing myself and completeness and internal contentment in this exact moment. What I’ve learnt is that just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should do something. Where I am now really embodies what I mean about finding my true self. Yes I’m a board member, yes I’m an investor in companies, I’m a co-owner in our boxing club, Lobos Boxing Club, in Los Angeles with both my coach and my husband, and bizarrely I’ve been partnering with a few global health & wellness brands, and that’s been really fun!” (Steph is referring to her recent work with ON on their Made to Move campaign).

“It sounds like you’re still very busy!”

“I am, but I’m a lot more selective with my time now. I think if you’re not 100% passionate about what you’re doing, it can get really hard for your family. I’ve only been able to do what I’ve done because I have a partner who is my absolute rock, and he just supports me on everything I’m passionate about. He’s just like ‘Alright, we’re gonna make this work. Whatever you want to do, let’s go for it!’, and it’s thanks to his approach that I am where I am today. At the beginning I was away from my son a lot because of my job, and that was really challenging. There’s often a lack of agency in corporate structures, so I’ve learnt to now own my own time. I time block, and despite having things to do, I schedule with grace and flexibility in case things crop up. I say no a lot more often than I say yes to things, and for that I get to spend a lot more time with my son”.

“Do you think you’ll bring him up to share a similar love for sport?”.

“I just want to show him that anything is possible. When I was competing in between rounds at Golden Gloves, my coach said to me, ‘When you win, that’s something you can tell your son about, and no one can take that away from you’. I find it so cool! He’s been to some of my fights, he comes to the gym, the track or whatever I’m doing and has even started doing classes. He’ll come home and say ‘Mum, I listened to coach!’ and he’s even picked up on this language where he says, ‘If I go to sleep and go to class, I can get strong like mummy!’. Whether it’s boxing or not – that doesn’t matter. I just want him to know that whatever you want to do, you can do, and I want to lead by example. I want him to pick up on those values of sport, because you learn so much about yourself in the process – it’s so raw to have challenges and want something or not get it. It transfers into so many other things. If you can see past your challenges, there’s real magic in that”.

“So he’s already picking up on those healthy traits of his Mum! I know you’re a huge foodie, so say it’s Friday night and you just can’t fathom cooking. What is your ideal night of a slobby night in?”.

“My go to order is this restaurant called Kismet Rotisserie in Los Angeles; it’s basically great chicken and I get this wedge salad, amazing schmaltzy potatoes in garlic sauce and chilli oil. We’ve had it for my birthday, my son’s birthday, when I’ve been sick… it’s the family go to. When I really want to go all out I order from TAO – it’s a nightclub! I’ve even gone there to pick it up, in my plain clothes while everyone else is dressed up and queuing to get in…”.

When she was younger, Steph competed at a high level in volleyball and track & field; two sports with just as much demand for discipline

“And if you could have a fantasy dinner party, who would you invite and why? What would you have to eat?”.

“I couldn’t wait for you to ask this question! So there’s two groups of people I would invite, and we’re talking big dinner party, candlelit, long tables, etc. I’m inviting one group which would be great authors of nonfiction works and high performers, like Rilke who wrote Letters for the Young Poet, Steven Kotler who often writes about flow state, George Mumford who was the mindfulness coach for Kobe (Bryant), and of course I’d also invite Kobe because I’m just so inspired by him. The other group would be the phenomenal group of female boxers I’ve met over the years. We champion each other in a way that I’ve never experienced before. We’re fast friends because we have such shared experiences, there for each other in the height of the ups and downs that come with the sport. I think the combination of these women, and the authors sharing their philosophies and approach to mindfulness, would make the most enchanting dinner”.

“And the food? What would you be eating?”.

“I am the biggest pasta lover of all time, so for all my athletes we’re having a carb heavy dinner, we’re serving the best homemade lemon spaghetti or cacio e pepe of all time. I’m not a red sauce, Northern Italy pasta person. I’m definitely more of a Mediterranean, Southern Italy fan, with lighter ingredients like olive oil, light sauce. Mmm”.