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What Boxing Taught Me About Business and Leadership
In 2016, I stepped into a boxing gym for the first time.
I went on a whim after my sister suggested it. She had walked past the gym, thought that I’d be interested, and she encouraged me to check it out. I was shy, intimidated, and uncertain, but also curious. At the time, boxing was completely outside of my comfort zone. I decided to give it a try anyway.
One visit, and I was hooked.
Now, nearly a decade later, boxing has become an important part of my lifestyle. It continues to challenge me physically, gives me space away from the demands of work and life, and teaches me lessons that extend far beyond the gym.
I train with my coach at least once a week and have since introduced my son to the sport. Whenever we can, we train together. Boxing gives us the opportunity to connect over something we both genuinely enjoy.
It's never easy to find the time. Between running a business, showing up for my clients, managing family life, and everything else in between, there are plenty of days when skipping a session is the easier choice.
Despite that, I've learned that the moments where I feel that I have the least time are usually the moments where I need to make some for myself.
Focus on What Matters
My profession is fast-paced, and high-pressure. As an accountant and business owner, my days are spent solving problems, making decisions, and helping clients navigate uncertainty, often amid tight deadlines and with high stakes.
Sparring has taught me that not everything deserves my immediate attention, or any attention at all.
Losing focus in boxing for even a moment can cost you. One clean punch can alter a whole match. However, smaller punches slowly wear you down, and cost you valuable energy. Especially if you react to every punch that comes your way.
There is no universal defensive maneuver in boxing. Each hit requires a different reaction: sometimes I slip, sometimes I weave, sometimes I parry. Sometimes, I simply stay composed knowing that a punch will miss entirely.
Business is much the same.
Each day can bring new requests, unexpected challenges, distractions, and competing priorities. But not every issue deserves the same amount of energy. Some problems are real. They require action. Others never materialize; they are simply noise.
Consistency and efficacy aren’t about reacting to everything that comes your way. It's about staying focused on which things matter the most and choosing your response intentionally, with clear priorities and a clear game plan.
Timing Is Everything
One of the biggest lessons that boxing has taught me is that not every opportunity is the right opportunity.
When you're sparring, you can't throw punches continuously. You'll waste energy, tire out quickly, and lose your composure, leaving yourself exposed and weak.
Sometimes the smartest move is to defend.
Sometimes it's to create space.
Sometimes it's to wait.
You're constantly reading your opponent, watching for openings, and choosing the right moment to act. Patience isn't only passive; it's strategic, intentional.
As business owners, we're constantly faced with decisions. From short-term hiring and cash flow decisions to long-term decisions on business strategy and exit planning.
Not every decision requires immediate action. You must prioritize. Deal with what is in front of you instead of worrying about what might happen next. Sometimes the best decision is to wait, watch, and gather information before you respond.
I've learned that good leadership isn't about always being the fastest to react. It's about knowing when to take initiative, when to defend, and when to conserve your energy for the opportunities that matter most.
Creating Space to Think Clearly
One of the unexpected benefits of boxing has been what it does for my mind.
There are days when I don't feel like going. I'm busy. I'm tired. I go anyway. Because after an hour of training, I leave feeling calmer, clearer, and far less stressed than when I walked in.
The problems that felt overwhelming suddenly seem manageable. Ideas flow more easily. Decisions feel clearer.
As business owners, we spend so much time trying to become more productive and forget one of the most rudimentary aspects of productivity is efficiency. We can not work efficiently when we aren’t giving ourselves space to think.
For me, boxing creates that space.
Step Into Discomfort
Boxing has reminded me that growth happens outside your comfort zone.
When I first walked into the gym, I was completely outside of my comfort zone. As a woman, boxing felt like an unconventional interest, and for a long time I wasn't confident enough to own it.
But with the support of a great coach and self-confidence built through showing up consistently, that discomfort slowly faded.
I'm certainly not a professional boxer, but I’ve earned my salt over the years. More importantly, I've proven to myself that I'm capable of learning something that once felt completely beyond me.
I think this is a sentiment that many women can relate to. We're often taught to be prepared, have all the answers, and conditioned not to take risks.
Whether it's starting a business, taking on a leadership role, speaking up in a meeting, or walking into a boxing gym for the first time, confidence doesn't come first.
Confidence comes from taking the step, making mistakes, learning, and showing up again.
The Lessons We Learn Outside the Office
I've come to realize that many of the most important lessons in leadership aren't learned in a boardroom, or behind a desk. They're learned in places that challenge us, humble us, and force us to grow.
For me, that place has been a boxing gym. I’ve learned to stay present under pressure, to choose my battles wisely, to wait for the right opportunity instead of forcing one, and to create space to think clearly before making decisions.
Perhaps most importantly, it reminded me that showing up for myself isn't selfish, it's necessary.
Because when I take care of my body, challenge my mind, and make space to think, I become a better leader, a better parent, and a better version of myself. We spend so much of our professional lives investing in our businesses, our careers, and the people around us. Don't forget to invest in yourself, too.
You might be surprised by how much of what you learn outside of work changes the way you show up within it.
As business owners, one of the greatest freedoms we have is the ability to intentionally create time and space for the things that keep us healthy, challenged, and growing.
Boxing for me has become far more than a workout. It's one of the ways that I make space to be a better leader, a better parent, and a better version of myself.
