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You Don’t Need a Medal to Live a Podium Life
What does your podium look like right now?
You don’t need an Olympic medal, a certain amount of money, a title, or somebody else’s definition of success to live a Podium Life.
In this episode, Michelle Carter breaks down what it really means to identify your podium—the life, goal, or next level you are intentionally working toward. Your podium may be better health, a stronger business, financial freedom, deeper relationships, greater confidence, peace, faith, or simply becoming the person you know you are capable of becoming.
Michelle reflects on how her own podium has changed since winning Olympic gold in 2016. The goals that once defined success for her aren't necessarily the goals that define success today—and that's not failure. Your podium is allowed to change as you change.
She also explores one of the biggest traps that keeps people from reaching their podium: training for somebody else's event. Comparison, family expectations, social media, and outside pressure can have you working incredibly hard toward a life you don't actually want.
Then Michelle introduces the framework behind The Podium Life:
PREPARE → PERFORM → PRESENT → PRESERVE
Prepare — Build the foundation before the opportunity arrives.
Perform — Execute when it's time.
Present — Show up with confidence, clarity, and the ability to advocate for yourself.
Preserve — Develop the habits and character necessary to keep what you've built.
And because wanting something isn't the same as preparing for it, Michelle ends the episode with a simple challenge you can put into action this week.
Your Podium Challenge
Ask yourself:
What is my podium right now?
Then choose your three most important priorities and write down:
START: What do I need to begin doing?
STOP: What do I need to stop doing?
CONTINUE: What is already working that I need to keep doing?
Finally, identify one concrete preparation step you can take this week toward the life you say you want.
In This Episode
Michelle talks about redefining success as life changes, why comparison can put you in the wrong race, prioritizing health and strength, letting go of things that no longer serve you, preparing long before anyone sees the result, confidence and self-advocacy, the lessons behind her famous final throws, and the difference between getting to the podium and being able to stay there.
Episode Chapters
00:00 — Showing up even when everything isn't perfect
02:55 — What does “your podium” actually mean?
03:54 — Michelle's podium today: health, mobility & strength
06:51 — Stop chasing somebody else's definition of success
09:26 — Your goals are allowed to change
10:23 — Redefining freedom and letting go
12:04 — You can't train for somebody else's event
13:42 — The work nobody sees: preparation
17:10 — Questions to ask before pursuing a goal
20:07 — The power of the last throw
21:30 — Confidence, presence & self-advocacy
24:52 — Can you preserve what you've built?
27:07 — Prepare. Perform. Present. Preserve.
28:12 — Prioritizing health, home, heart & money
31:29 — Start. Stop. Continue.
34:27 — Your Podium Life challenge
Question for you:
What is YOUR podium right now?
Share it and tell me one thing you're going to start, stop, or continue this week to move toward it.
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