Mindset Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Athletes and Creatives

(And What They All Can Learn From Each Other)

Perspective from a Mental Performance Therapist

When we think about high performance, our minds usually jump to the obvious: athletes who train relentlessly, or artists who pour their soul into every performance.

But there’s another kind of performer that often gets left out of the conversation.

Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders or Pioneers.

Yes, you read that right. Entrepreneurs are performers.

Boardrooms. Pitches. Product launches.

The pressure may look different, but the mental demands are just as intense.

As a mental performance therapist, I work with elite athletes, performing artists, and high-achieving professionals in business. And I’ve noticed something powerful: The mental strategies that fuel elite athletes and artists can radically upgrade how entrepreneurs show up, lead, and succeed. And the reverse is true too.

In fact, the most successful people borrow from all three.

Lets take a moment to break down what the Athlete Mindset, Business Mindset, and Creative Mindset each bring to the table, and how they can elevate each other.

From The Athlete Mindset

Discipline, Resilience, and Strategic Recovery

Key Performance Traits: Grit, focus, consistency, preparation

Athletes know (learn) how to show up. Even when they don’t feel like it. Their routines are tight. Their goals are clear. Their mental focus? Unshakable. But this level of discipline can come at a cost. Athletes are trained to push through, to minimize discomfort, to keep going no matter what, which can make it hard to slow down, acknowledge emotional needs, or know when rest is actually the win.

Entrepreneurs can learn a lot from the athletes' structured approach.

➡️ Think: training your mind like a muscle, not just reacting to your to-do list.

➡️ Think: scheduled recovery, not glorified burnout.

➡️ Think: game-day rituals, not last-minute scrambles.

On the flip side, athletes can borrow from entrepreneurs’ adaptability. While athletes often follow a highly linear path to peak, business demands navigating ambiguity and pivoting fast. Learning to think more fluidly and take calculated risks, just like a founder, can build psychological flexibility.

From The Business Mindset

Vision, Innovation, and Decision-Making Under Pressure

Key Performance Traits: Strategic thinking, risk tolerance, clarity under chaos

Entrepreneurs aren’t just thinkers, they’re doers. They make decisions with imperfect information, manage high stakes, and constantly iterate. But many entrepreneurs live in their heads, overanalyzing, overplanning, with healthy/unhealthy doses of perfectionism.

That’s where the athlete’s focus on execution and the creative’s emphasis on presence come in.

If you’re a founder, executive, or solopreneur, start thinking of yourself as a whole-body performer. Not just a brain in a chair.

You need mindset, energy, emotional stamina, and recovery protocols, just like an elite athlete or artist.

From The Creative Mindset

Flow, Expression, and Emotional Intelligence

Key Performance Traits: Intuition, adaptability, emotional range, presence

Performing artists live in the world of nuance. They know that timing, tone, and energy matter. They tune into themselves and others with precision, and that creates impact. But this sensitivity, while powerful, can also make them vulnerable to overwhelm, self-doubt, and burnout if it isn’t anchored.

Entrepreneurs and athletes can benefit from this emotional agility.

Too often, we’re trained to numb out emotions in high-stakes moments. But this suppression can stunt or kill performance potential.

Want to pitch with more presence? Lead with more clarity? Build a magnetic brand?

Start cultivating your creative mindset.

And musicians or creatives? You could learn a thing or two from entrepreneurs about structure, boundaries, and long-term strategy. Passion is powerful, but it’s not sustainable without a container to hold it.

Cheat Sheet: Sample Hybrid Performance Mindset

Want to lead like a high performer across any industry?

Here’s what a hybrid mindset might look like

Click Here To Begin Building Your Own Hybrid Performance Mindset

Mindset	What You Bring	What You Need to Borrow
Athlete	Structure, drive, physical optimization	Creativity, emotional flexibility
Artist	Flow, expression, intuitive presence	Strategy, recovery, boundary-setting
Entrepreneur	Vision, adaptability, execution	Nervous system regulation, performance rituals

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. But you do need to integrate it.

Because mastery isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what works, consistently, and with intention.

You're a Performer 'Too'

Whether you’re in a boardroom, on a stage, or on the starting line, the demand and what's required of you is the same.

"Show up and deliver at your best."

That means training your mental game, understanding your blind spots, and borrowing wisdom from other high performers who operate under pressure too.

So the next time you're prepping for a big pitch, planning a performance, or stepping into a critical moment, ask yourself:

👉 Am I leading with clarity like a business visionary?

👉 Am I preparing with focus like an athlete?

👉 Am I tuning in with presence like an artist?

The secret sauce is in a combination, not just the category.

Ready to Build Your Own Hybrid High-Performance Strategy?

Whether you’re an athlete, artist, or entrepreneur, I can help you refine your mindset, define your strength and challenge zones to build clarity under pressure, and unlock your next level of performance.