Simone

Think back to being a young kid. A young kid who had a home life with three other siblings that had been in and out of foster care at a young age. You find yourself drawn to a sport that you can personally excel. It is a place that makes you feel good. At this point, you aren’t thinking about the expectations that come with the territory.

I can’t help but think about founders who are not thinking about HR, taxes, payroll, expectations from investors, and their own personal stress put on themselves to succeed when that idea takes place. Or the realization that if they succeed everyone who jumped on their bandwagon believes they, they they were brilliant, but if they fail, all on the founder.

Can you even imagine what it feels like to have the entire world talking about you and expecting you to get the gold? The stress of that is mind-boggling particularly when you are already the most decorated American gymnast and the most dominant in the sport.

Putting the world on your shoulders can’t be easy. If you listen or read social media and the press judging every move you make, that has to be hard. Yet when you go to bed at night and close your eyes, you are by yourself in your own head attempting to power through whatever pressure you must bear.

I am sure her fellow team members were disappointed with Simone stepping out of the arena for the group competition but they aren’t her. Just like none of us are the founders who succeed or fail or for that matter anyone else. Everyone deals with stress differently and it goes back to the early days of one’s life. Many founders have found themselves overwhelmed when an idea that they have nurtured with few people turns into a company of 200.

As for Simone, being honest with herself and her team mates should be applauded. We have to stop the judgement and rancor. The only shoes that fit are the ones on our own feet.