December 02, 2025

382. Fail Forward, Lead Better: 4X Olympian Jordan Larson On The Power Of A Goldfish Mindset, All Things LOVB & The Importance Of Empathy In Sport & Life

53 minutes

This week, Emily's sitting down with Olympic Gold Medalist, professional volleyball player, founding athlete for League One Volleyball, and co-owner of Love Nebraska, Jordan Larson. A lot has happened since our first chat in 2021. Jordan dives deep into the personal and professional work that has allowed her to maintain elite performance over an impressive 16+ season career. "The Governor" (Jordan's nickname) opens up about the immense internal work required to evolve from being a quiet "leader by action" to a vocal and empathetic captain for her team.

Jordan also shares her experience navigating a difficult personal period, including a divorce, and how she learned to separate her self-worth from her on-court performance. It's a candid conversation about finding inner peace, the importance of "failing fast" to learn, and her excitement for growing the future of women’s volleyball in the United States through ventures like Love Nebraska and League One Volleyball. This is a masterclass in resilience, leadership, and the power of continual evolution.

In This Episode:

16+ Seasons of Elite Performance: Jordan shares what still excites her about lacing up and how she remains a student of the sport after almost two decades.
The Evolution of Leadership: We discuss the shift from being a "leader by action" to a vocal, empathetic captain who builds deeper connections with her teammates.
Beyond the White Lines: Why true success and team cohesion require knowing the person behind the athlete, not just their on-court skill.
The Hardest Hurdle: Jordan opens up about the immense internal work required to find peace and process her divorce, and how she used that time to define her self-worth outside of volleyball.
Failing Fast: The necessity of taking risks in practice and the importance of a "goldfish mindset" for quick failure and recovery.
Love Nebraska and League One Volleyball: Her passion for growing the sport domestically and the importance of creating opportunities for female athletes to thrive at home.
Advice to Her Younger Self: The importance of being able to sit in the hard, uncomfortable feelings instead of running from them.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

🥇 On Success, Self-Worth, and Longevity

“How do I help others around me believe that they are unstoppable?”
“There’s moments of time in my career that I burnout was real and I was like maybe this is time to step away.”
“I think the fastest you fail, the more you learn.”

🧘 On Inner Peace and Healing

“I really started building myself up. Lots of therapy, and I feel like today I’m in a place of just loving myself and finding inner peace and learning that that is actually the true happiness.”
“I think I would go back to tell myself that like it’s gonna hurt, but that doesn’t mean that that’s wrong. That even in the pain and the hurt, it’s okay to sit in it.”

🏐 On Leadership and Team Dynamics

“It’s not just about what’s happening between the white lines. It’s about how I get to know my teammates, how I’m showing up for them.”

SOCIAL
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@iheartwomenssports

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