Meet Kara Lilly | Elite Athlete, Writer, Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kara Lilly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kara, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
I never give up. Ever. Once you give up once, you open a door to giving up in the future, and that’s an unacceptable mental habit to form. You can never afford to make it “like you” to quit.

The bigger question is: what is the difference between quitting and stopping? While quitting is never acceptable under any circumstance, stopping is often the wise move.

Stopping is what you do when the risks of going further outweigh the potential rewards, like when you injure yourself and pushing through will only make the injury worse. Or, when you are in conflict with someone and the best move is to take a time out to allow everyone to calm down.

Quitting happens when you cede to external circumstance: it is an action that signals, “okay, you win — I am powerless over you.” There are few moves more disempowering. In comparison, stopping is a deliberate choice to yield or end, not because you lack the wherewithal to continue, but because you have decided to stop. Power stays with you when you stop.

Our society often confuses the two concepts to the detriment of everyone. Never quit and never give up: you cannot afford to leave that door open, even just one crack. AND be willing and unafraid to strategically stop: this is a sign of courage and maturity as much as perseverance is a sign of grit.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have two crafts – writing and cycling.

These great loves are natural extensions of creative and athletic impulses which have been with me from as far back as I can remember. For years I tried to abandon these instincts and work in a more “respectable” profession, only to find myself drawn back to them again and again.

Eventually, in my thirties, I woke up to the reality that the investment management industry in which I was working was not my calling. I found cycling and re-invented myself as an elite athlete. I then left a successful career as the strategist of an award-winning $50 billion+ global investment firm to become a cyclist on the pro road tour and pursue my athletic and creative dreams.

These days I compete on the pro road tour with Automatic Abus, support the climate action work of Rewatt Power, and write for the Undaunted Project, a soon-to-launch online community that serves artists, athletes, and anyone who dares to reach for a goal.

The road to here has been anything but easy or straight. I have faced cancer scares and mystery illnesses, uncertain living arrangements and financial prospects, and the general challenge of mastering one’s craft in an elite field of competition. To meet the opportunity, I have had to continuously upgrade my process, identity and attitudes, and to step into a better version of myself. And this has only been possible because, time and time again, when I really needed support, support appeared. I have been both very fortunate and worked very hard.

My main message to the world is to keep going until you break through. Do not settle: work and upgrade your skill and situation until you can live life on your own terms. Speaking from experience, adversity can be overcome. Work until you get to the other side — it is worth it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Were my best friend to join me in Miami, our day would begin with an early morning bike ride to and through Key Biscayne, where nice wide shoulders and ocean scenery make for happy biking conditions.

Our ride finished, we would head to Panther Coffee in Coconut Grove for some caffeination and a good americano. Any of the Panther Coffee locations offer delicious food and drink but as a writer I appreciate the romanticism created by the tree canopy in Coconut Grove — so we would go there.

The rest of the afternoon would be spent perusing the shops in Wynwood, the top destination for independent boutiques and artsy shopping in Miami.

At sunset we would head to Sunset Harbour on Miami Beach to chill and watch the sun go down, before finally heading to dinner. In Miami the culinary influences from Peru and Havana are especially delicious and worth trying — that would be my go to.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am indebted and thrilled to be a part of two wonderful organizations: Automatic Abus and Rewatt Power.

Automatic Abus is an up-and-coming professional cycling team in North America and the home of the current US national criterium series champion. As a cyclist with big dreams, it is an honour to race for this team on the pro road tour.

Rewatt Power is a startup company that is on a mission to help companies and municipalities take climate action. They serve as an online marketplace where high-quality environmental credits can be generated and traded, as well as a software platform for utilities and municipalities to run climate engagement programs with their stakeholders. My work with them helps fund my dreams in professional cycling — they are an incomparably supportive and forward-thinking crew.

In both cases doing well while doing good is baked into the cultural DNA of these organizations. It is an honour to represent these teams.

Website: karalilly.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karelilly/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karalilly/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kara.lilly.9

Image Credits
Laura Barisonzi www.barisonzi.com