From Data to Dollars: Lessons from Running and Revenue  

Ten years ago, I kicked off a coaching business for endurance athletes—runners, cyclists, triathletes. On the outside, it looked like my work revolved around training plans. But here’s the truth—training plans weren’t the thing. The real game was in the data.  

Every athlete brought me a goldmine of numbers. Heart rates, recovery times, split speeds. My job? Decode that data, spot the patterns, and adjust strategies on the fly. It wasn’t about guessing or gut feelings—it was about smart decisions rooted in context and numbers.  

Turns out, the secret sauce I learned in coaching applies just as well in the business world. Whether you’re building athletes or scaling revenue, it’s all about knowing the numbers, interpreting the patterns, and making no-BS, action-driven moves.  

Here’s a breakdown of the playbook I’ve used for both athletes and businesses.  

Crushing It on the Track  

Every endurance athlete walks in with their own stack of data—heart rates, power outputs, recovery times… all of it paints a unique picture.  

• Low heart rate during high effort? Don’t pat yourself on the back just yet—that’s probably overtraining, not peak fitness.  
• Quick heart recovery between intervals? That’s your aerobic base doing work—a killer sign for long-term performance.  

But (and this is a big BUT), data alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Context is king. Numbers without understanding shit like sleep, stress, or life outside training? Useless. One-size-fits-all plans don’t work here. You’ve gotta dig deeper for real results.  

This same mindset followed me as I swapped the finish lines and stopwatch for revenue dashboards and sales playbooks.  

The Business Playbook  

Athletes and businesses couldn’t look more different, right? Wrong. Beneath the surface, the strategies are practically identical.  

1. Start with the Baseline  

Every long-distance runner needs a strong aerobic base—it’s what powers endurance and strength later on. Businesses need the same. Without a solid foundation (think strong processes, clearly aligned teams, and metrics that actually matter), any other effort is built on sand. Build the damn base first.  

2. Cookie-cutter Solutions Are BS  

Athletes don’t follow the same training plan. One runner’s golden workout is another’s injury waiting to happen. Same goes for businesses. Copy-pasting a “proven” playbook without adapting it to your team, market, and niche? A guaranteed recipe for wasted time and energy.  

3. The Data Tells Stories—Listen  

Raw data is cheap; insights are priceless. The real winners are the ones who ask the right questions like:

• Are we growing fast enough to compete—or going pedal to the metal and burning out?  
• Is this play driving ROI, or is it just noise?  

Patterns tell a story—your job is to read it and react.  

4. Adaptation is Life  

Athletes who don’t adjust their training hit walls fast. Businesses are the same. Scaling too fast without watching the data or pivoting when needed? Watch your cash flow (and your team) burn out. Sharp moves win races and markets.  

Lessons That Go the Distance  

The formula for success—whether it’s breaking a personal record or smashing revenue goals—is a feedback loop.  

1. Collect Data  
2. Analyze Patterns  
3. Adjust Strategy  

It’s that simple (and that hard). But here’s the bottom line—data without action is f***ing useless. You can track all the metrics in the world—sales velocity, churn rates, conversion rates. But if you’re not actually doing something with that data, you’re wasting your time and bleeding resources.  

Scaling for the Long Game  

Do I still coach athletes? Occasionally. But for the last few years, I’ve taken the frameworks I mastered in coaching and applied them to revenue strategy. The landscape might be different, but the principles are the same—setting benchmarks, watching patterns, adapting fast.  

Here’s the real takeaway for you (don’t miss this): Data alone isn’t enough. The magic is in how you interpret it and turn those insights into action.  

Whether it’s optimizing a sales funnel or training for a marathon, here’s the million-dollar question you need to ask yourself right now:  

Are you collecting the right data? And more importantly, are you listening to what it’s telling you?  

Because if not, what the hell are you doing? Get smart. Get strategic. And start winning.

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