Wearing white sneakers and a sports jacket with the words “Le Punk c’est Chic” emblazoned on the side, Venus Williams needed no introduction when she took to the stage at The Wallis Goldsmith Theater as the keynote speaker for Visionary Women’s Fall Salon on Oct. 28. The legendary tennis superstar was joined by Canadian journalist and television personality Thea Andrews Wolf to discuss Williams’ new book, “STRIVE: 8 Steps to Find Your Awesome,” which emphasizes the importance of making goals easy, enjoyable and exciting. Williams discussed her approach to success, highlighting the significance of maintaining a positive mindset and the influence of her family, particularly her father’s high standards and her younger sister Serena’s competitive spirit. She shared personal anecdotes, singing karaoke after being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, and her commitment to fighting for equal pay in a male-dominated industry. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, Olympic gold medalist, activist, designer, executive producer and author shared a few of the secrets to her success, which are outlined in print in eight steps.
Visionary Women is a member-based organization founded in 2014 by former Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse and bestselling author Angella Nazarian to support women’s initiatives on a local and global level. Over the past 10 years, Visionary Women has awarded $3.5 million in grant funding to over 240 nonprofit organizations that drive change and address pressing issues facing women and girls. Beyond that, the organization has worked to build a network of influential women, brought together under one platform to highlight issues relevant to them.
To achieve greatness as a professional athlete, Williams developed a mental discipline and learned techniques that allowed her to stay in a growth mindset, process failure, learn from failure and ultimately reframe it.
“My mom was blunt,” Williams said. “She’s like, ‘I’m not raising any weak women.’” Growing up, Williams recalled her father only allowed the kids to watch educational programs. “He didn’t let us watch ‘The Cosby Show.’ He’s like, ‘Bill Cosby’s already rich. You’re not.’”
“And he would ask us a lot of questions, like ‘Why does a rich man get richer, and a poor man gets poorer,’” Williams said. “Meanwhile, back in Dodge, you’re 8 years old, and you definitely don’t know why, but you always had to answer.”
According to Williams, she learned how to be a fearless competitor in the game of tennis by watching her younger sister, Serena. “She wasn’t thinking about what if I lose or what if it doesn’t work out. She was actively going forward. She gave everything, and she didn’t hold back and allowed herself to be her best.”
“If you fail giving it your all, that’s a beautiful thing,” Williams said. “But if you fail because you didn’t allow yourself to be your best, that one hurts.”
“Venus really spoke to women of all ages, and reminded us that pressure is a privilege,” Chloe Makhani, Visionary Women Board Member and GenV Founder, told the Courier. “As we continue to grow in life, we can always improve and shouldn’t be afraid to fail. I think that really stuck with the crowd. Let’s put our fear aside and prevail in our feminine power!”
Approximately 500 people purchased tickets for the Fall Salon, and attendees received a complimentary copy of Williams’ new book.
GEARYS Beverly Hills and The Wall Street Journal sponsored the event.
